Sunday, February 07, 2010
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| Moroccan Squash Stew |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Yeah, I know. I cooked with butternut squash earlier in the week. When I decided that was going to be the veggie of the week, I found two recipes I really wanted to cook so that's why I'm using it again.
I found that if you buy a large enough squash, you can cut the head off and not have to deal with the seeds. Rather than peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, I just used a knife and cut straight down the side until the flesh was exposed. I've used a peeler in the past and the skin is fairly difficult to remove using that method.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Friday, February 05, 2010
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| The Running Man |
| Posted by: Vince |
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The problem with a game like 30/30 is that my competitive side wants to take over and win. Unfortunately, my goal for 2010 is not this game and therein lies the rub. That said, I feel like I played the game wisely.
My strategy for the game was to run each day at an easy pace. Basically, I walked out the door, started running and whatever pace my body wanted to run was what I ran. On most days that pace was somewhere around an 8:30 minute/mile.
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Category: Running |
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Tuesday, February 02, 2010
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| Spicy Butternut Squash Soup |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I had an idea. I decided that I wanted to pick a vegetable, not a common vegetable, and then make a dinner based around it. Last night I decided butternut squash.
We shall see how long this last given my short attention span. I seem to recall sometime ago that I wanted to list the nutritional benefits of a vegetable in my recipes but that lasted for two or three entries. Whatever.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Monday, February 01, 2010
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| The Street Sweeper |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Sometimes I write because I like to write. And sometimes those pieces never get published here (or anywhere for that matter) because they have nothing to do with training or cooking. You know... because training and cooking go hand in hand. Duh. :P
This morning while catching up on Seth's Blog (thanks g!), I came across an article he wrote a little over a week ago and it seemed like a sign for me to post my unrelated piece. Heck, it's my blog, I can do whatever I want. :)
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Category: General |
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Friday, January 29, 2010
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| Stockpot Lasagna |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I'm sort of becoming a one trick pony with turkey meat. Ok, it's more than one but when I see ground turkey in the refrigerator, I think meatloaf, chili, sloppy Joe's, or pasta sauce. I've made quite a few meatloaves and various versions of chili lately. Sloppy Joe's are fairly easy to make as well so I was left with pasta sauce. I have a fairly standard pasta sauce and if I had a little version of me running around, that recipe would get taught as the "family recipe".
I guess what I'm trying to convey is that when I cook I want to try something different and I want to have something to blog about. As I was pondering my options, I thought about lasagna but immediately tossed that idea out the window because lasagna has too many noodles and too much cheese. In my mind, that equates to — too many calories. I thought about vegetable lasagna like one that I've made previously with zucchini instead of noodles. While that's a delicious meal, it's already been done.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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| Broccoli and Turkey Sausage Casserole |
| Posted by: Vince |
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This recipe is a bastardization of two separate recipes. I don't know how healthy it is but it's healthier than the originals which used ricotta and half and half.
It was delicious! I quickly switched to eating a giant bowl of salad to prevent further consumption of this tasty entrée. There's enough for lunch... barely. The Mrs. was also pleased. I will try this again but I'll use the extra-lean ground turkey instead.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Monday, January 25, 2010
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| Name That Tune |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Lately I've been seeing quite a few ads for Ironman training plans that preach the "smarter not harder" approach. I saw a plan this morning with only 10 hours of training per week. While trying to wrap my mind around that, I was reminded of one of my favorite scenes from "Something About Mary"...
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Category: Training |
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| Sunday Night Turkey Casserole |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I'm running out of names. It's sad. Anyway. I've got a meal cooking in the slow cooker but that's for lunch. I still have dinner to prepare and needed to clean out the fridge. When I looked to see what remained, I had a package of Jenni-O turkey and some veggies. The outcome...
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Sunday, January 24, 2010
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| Moroccan Meatloaf |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Another tasty meatloaf! I think using the corn flake crumbs instead of regular bread crumbs allows the loaf to turn a darker color which for some reason is more appealing to me. It might have something to do with using turkey instead of beef. Weird.
I realize I'm not a photographer and that my photos are sort amateurish. But then there are photos like this one where I had to work some Photoshop magic in order to get a photo that would meet my low standards.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Friday, January 22, 2010
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| White Bean Soup |
| Posted by: Vince |
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In an effort to keep the refrigerator stocked with leftovers, I found a chili recipe, hacked it to bits and turned it into a soup. Among the many differences, the original recipe wanted me to soak beans. I don't have that kind of patience so I used canned white beans. Not the white kidney aka cannellini beans but the smaller canned white beans.
I had low expectations for my leftover but this turned out to be quite tasty. Now that I think about it, I might've thrown in a celery stalk as well. I would've added it with the onions. It'll be good either way.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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| Nike Free 5.0 V4 |
| Posted by: Steve |
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Product Description
The Nike Free 5.0 V4 Men's Running Shoe emphasizes natural foot movement while delivering an extraordinary feel, combined with the cushioning, traction and underfoot protection of a shoe. Updates to this version of the Free 5.0 make it even better for runners who want to reap the benefits of barefoot training. Weight: 8.2 ounces (men's size 9)
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Category: Gear |
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Monday, January 18, 2010
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| The BEST Stuffed Bell Peppers |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I had a package of turkey sitting in the fridge and thought I better make use of it before it started to get funky. In a pinch, I grabbed bell peppers from the grocery store thinking that I could slap together stuffed bell peppers.
I grabbed a few different recipes and with some of my own magic, I concocted what I think are the best stuffed bell peppers ever. My wife took one bite and said they were delicious. Sometimes you just get lucky and this was one of those occurrences.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Sunday, January 17, 2010
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| More On (Moron) Running |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I've been fortunate in that my running has been relatively injury free for the last two years but I've also been cautious with my approach. I look at the 30/30 game as risky but I think it's a calculated risk. That said, I've been playing for over two weeks and I'm actually quite surprised that I'm still running. I guess I just expected a problem to arise that would force me to stop playing the game.
I think fear has kept my competitive side from taking over and the little voice in my head that wants to run farther and faster has been relatively quiet. There was one instance where I had to increase the length of a run in order to keep my buddy Steve from getting ahead but I think he and I are in the same boat so neither of us wants to up the game too much.
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Category: Running |
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Friday, January 15, 2010
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| Cottage Cheese Turkey Meatloaf |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Ok, the truth is that when I got home from the store, I realized I already had a package of turkey in the refrigerator from my last shopping expedition. I decided to cook two meals, one to eat and one for snacking, lunch or both. This meatloaf was in the latter category.
I came across a recipe that had cottage cheese and my initial reaction was less than enthusiastic. It just sounds weird. In fact, when I told my wife, she made a face but we both changed our tune once we tasted it. Although this particular combination which I threw together out of my head was lacking a bit of flavor, I think the next iteration will be quite tasty.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010
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| YACR (Yet Another Chili Recipe) |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I'm now entering the second week of my experiment of shopping for more than one day. So far so good but I've had a few hiccups.
I spent nearly $100 at the grocery store yesterday buying mostly fruits and veggies but I'm still shopping without recipes in mind so it'll be interesting to see how creative I can get with the ingredients I've purchased. I'm also curious to see if I start wasting food. That would be bad.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Sunday, January 10, 2010
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| Last Minute Turkey Casserole |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I've been trying to stick to my plan of shopping fewer times per week. I've been doing ok but I had to make something up out of my head because I had a package of turkey meat, some veggies but didn't have a recipe. I did end up at the store yesterday but that's because I ran out of salad. All in all, I'm going ok but my plan needs work.
This was delicious. I just had some for lunch and the only thing I would add is cayenne pepper. They say as men get older they lose their sense of taste and that is why they frequently use pepper. I must be old. :( Oh well.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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| Born to Run(-Walk) |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I've been looking over my training log for last year and I was pleased with the progress I made on the swim and bike but I feel like my run needs improvement. Of the three disciplines, I felt like I was strongest in the run but now I feel like that's where I should be focusing my attention in 2010. I wouldn?t go so far as to say that I didn't make progress last year because I felt like my run got stronger, it just didn't get faster.
When I compare my run training from 2008 and 2009, there wasn't much of a difference except that I increased the volume and frequency. And that change didn't occur until after mid-year so I will continue down that path as well as making other small changes which I hope will allow me to have a more competitive run.
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Category: Running |
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Wednesday, January 06, 2010
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| Frankenstein’s Turkey Meatloaf |
| Posted by: Vince |
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In an effort to reclaim wasted time in my week, I've decided to shop for more than one day at a time. I know what you're thinking. You're thinking... now way... really... you're going to be like normal people and shop for several meals at once?!?! [gasp] Yes, I am!
It's pathetic. I just can't think more than one day ahead when I'm in the grocery store so I end up buying groceries almost every day. I've got it down to a science and I can get in and out in just a few minutes but I would like to change my routine and save that 15-30 minutes per day and only go to the grocery store twice a week. Ok, maybe three times. (Four max.) And yes, it's a New Year's resolution thing.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Monday, January 04, 2010
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| Yellow Squash and Chicken Casserole |
| Posted by: Vince |
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The first recipe of the year! I almost didn't make this one because of the bread. It's not that I've sworn off bread but I've definitely reduced my bread intake. This recipe calls for 10 slices. In hindsight, I could?ve used 5 slices and increased the amount of zucchini, onions, or I could've added mushrooms. Actually, I think I would add mushrooms regardless of how much bread I used.
It was good and I would make it again but I think I would take more with me for lunch because I felt like I had a hole in my belly a few hours later. I've been feeling a bit hungrier over the last few days. It's either because of my increased training or my body anticipating the increased load.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Sunday, December 27, 2009
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| Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Being newlyweds, my wife and I are still developing traditions. Two days before Christmas my wife suggested we come up with a Christmas dinner tradition. After a few minutes of throwing out ideas we came up with: Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Reduction Sauce
When I came across the recipe, I remembered that I had a few old bottles of port in the wine cellar. So I thought, with a good bottle of port, I need to buy good quality meat. On Christmas Eve, I battled the last minute shoppers in order to get two gigantic filet mignons.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Saturday, December 26, 2009
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| Simple Pancakes |
| Posted by: Vince |
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After opening our presents on Christmas morning, my wife looked at me and asked if we are having pancakes for breakfast. The tone of her voice implied she had already put in this request prior but she and I both knew she had not. I did a mental search in the kitchen for the appropriate items required for making pancakes and then replied: "Yes, we are having pancakes for breakfast."
I guess you could purchase a box of Bisquick or some other premade pancake mix but making your own is just as simple. I've been guilty of the above but controlling the ingredients going into my meals is becoming more of a priority.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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| Minestrone Soup |
| Posted by: Vince |
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My wife and I decided that we wanted to start a tradition for Christmas in our house in the form of a special dinner. I initially suggested a roasted chicken thinking something healthy might be good. She immediately vetoed the idea. She suggested prime rib but since I'm not a huge fan of prime rib, I started hunting around for an idea. After searching the web, I came up with blue cheese crusted filet mignon. She liked the idea and I put together my shopping list.
I normally buy my meat at the local grocery store but for our traditional Christmas dinner (which hasn't occurred as of yet), I wanted to get top quality meat. Unfortunately, the store I had picked was in a shopping center which was filled with last minute Christmas shoppers. What would've normally taken 15 minutes consumed over an hour.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Thursday, December 24, 2009
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| Defining Success |
| Posted by: Vince |
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As a kid, I grew up poor. Understanding that statement in full would take more time than I have available for writing this entry. To put it into perspective though, it's taken my wife 5 years to fully understand my definition of poor.
I guess I could've sat her down and explained each and every situation but that's just not something I felt was necessary. But over time, the stories were told and one day, not too long ago, she looked at me and said: "You were poor!" To which I replied: "Yeah, that's what I've been telling you."
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Category: General |
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Tuesday, December 22, 2009
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| Spicy King Casserole II |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Déjà vu. I've been down this road once before and I decided I liked it so much I wanted to do it again. There are a couple of small changes but I think the rice addition was a nice touch.
I wish there was a way to tell how hot the peppers are because sometimes three sets my hair on fire and then there are times like last night where I wish it had more flame. Regardless, this is a meal fit for a King — as long as the Queen gives him permission to make it. :)
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Monday, December 21, 2009
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| Oven Fried Chicken |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Healthy considerations did not play a role in my cooking process when I first learned how to cook friend chicken. The chicken was dipped in a mixture of flour and spices and then fried in a pan filled with Crisco. The outside would turn golden brown, a crunchy shell would form, and it was absolutely delicious.
If you wanted to go southern style, you could make gravy from the flour with milk and some of the dripping from the frying pan. It was artery clogging goodness!
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Friday, December 18, 2009
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| Brown Rice & Tomato Salad |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I got another opportunity to use my fancy rice cooker. I can't believe that I used to make rice in a pot. I was in the middle of doing a trainer session when I hopped off, threw the rice in the cooker, and jumped back on while it was doing the work. It doesn't get any better than that. :)
This is fairly simple to make and was quite tasty although I think I might add chicken on my next attempt. What can I say? Not really much to add, it's something new although I feel like I've made something similar in the past. I'm feeling lazy this morning or else I'd do a search. Given the limited number of ingredients I use and the large number of recipes I've cooked, I'm certain there's something similar.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Thursday, December 17, 2009
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| Creamy Corn & Veggie Soup |
| Posted by: Vince |
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With a recipe like this one which has the name "cream" in the title, you can guarantee the original had cream and butter and all things which will make it rich and fattening — unless of course I'm making it. In that case, you can assume, the cream and butter have been replaced with milk and / or chicken broth and as long as you don't have a bowl of the other handy for a comparison, you won't know the difference. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
But seriously, this was a tasty soup and what I found really added a nice touch was a bit of cayenne pepper. It's fairly simple to make and if it had a little more substance to it, I would take it for lunch but I figure I'll starve since it's more liquid than anything else.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009
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| Three Veggie Penne |
| Posted by: Vince |
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Pesto seems like something that should be very simple to make and yet every time I attempt to make it, I feel like I could've done better.
When I start off a recipe like that, I'm probably discouraging anyone from making it and maybe you should take that as a warning but I did eat it for lunch the following day and I also nibbled on the remains in the refrigerator so it couldn't have been that bad.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Friday, December 11, 2009
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| Mediterranean Salad |
| Posted by: Vince |
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I called the Mrs. and started rattling off recipe titles getting a yes or no on what sounded good. We paired down the recipes until we came to the two she seemed the most enthusiastic about. She ended up choosing this recipe over another which I will save for another day.
After cooking the dish, she looks at me and said, "This is a side dish." To which I responded, "Yes, it is." Fortunately, we always eat salad for dinner so we had our side dish as a mini entrée and then followed it with salad.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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Wednesday, December 09, 2009
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| Sweet Potato Chili |
| Posted by: Vince |
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The wife gave me the green light to go spicy so I decided to cook yet another chili. I saw a recipe that used grated sweet potato but didn't really care for the rest of the ingredients so I just adopted that portion and made my own. The name is deceiving but I didn?t know what else to call it.
It met my standards for chili but is also much healthier than my absolute favorite chili which includes beer, chocolate, brown sugar, and coffee. That said, I had seconds and continued to nibble on it while it was in the pot. I'm taking it for lunch as well.
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Category: Health & Nutrition |
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