whole wheat | Stylish, Stealthy & Healthy.

October 21, 2011
by Jessica 23 Comments

Swappy Seconds

Another Blogger Sweet Swap has come and gone, and I have to say, this round was another huge success! (Speaking of huge, if I want my jeans to continue to fit over my bum, I’m going to have to kick up my cardio during Sweet Swap time, no joke.)
Thanks to everyone who participated (again or for the first time), Amy & I hope you will continue to play and struggle to button your pants. Totally worth it.

I had a hard time deciding what to make for this one, but after reading about Jessica’s Chewy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies, and another similar recipe on the Food Network, I sort of fused the two together to work with what I had on hand.

I know pumpkin has already exploded across the blogosphere, but whatevs. It’s delicious. And throw some chocolate chips/chunks up in there? The things that dreams are made of.

The texture wasn’t as chewy as I’d hoped (should have followed Jess’ recipe closer) but they still turned out pretty amazing and I had a really hard time parting with these little guys. Which further proves why I could never foster puppies or kittens.

I dare you to try and take one of those away from me.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
You’ll Need:
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chip chunks
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup pureed pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, then wet ingredients in a separate bowl with a hand mixer. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Scoop spoonfuls of dough onto parchment paper, bake for 12-14 minutes and move to wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

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So on the flipside of this swap, I also received my package in the mail this week from the lovely and clearly talented Terri from www.DessertorDiet.blogspot.com and all I can say is wow.

Girl, you outdid yourself. And like them, I did. More like loved.

Chocolate and butterscotch chips, walnuts and coconut, on a buttery and crispy cookie crust…again. Wow. And what’s funny is normally I’m not a huge fan of coconut, but I am officially converted.

Just, thank you. <3

Having said all that, it’s Friday, y’all and that makes me extremely happy. This week’s been a little on the hellacious side, and most certainly on the long side. I cannot wait to sleep in this weekend and catch up on hours of neglected TV. I am, however, all caught up on American Horror Story, and if you are not watching it, well then I just feel bad for you. Best new series in a long time. Even if I do have to sleep with the nightlight on. (Don’t judge me.)

Happy weekend, friends, take ‘er easy xo

Quick poll: Do you like scary movies/tv shows? They give me nightmares, but I love to torture myself apparently.

September 14, 2011
by Jessica 31 Comments

Winning

I’m the girl who doesn’t let a joke die. You should know that. If you haven’t figured that out yet… take it away, Charlie Sheen.

Oh look- check out my loot I got in the mail a few weeks ago from 2 different blog giveaways:

(Pea Pack from Mamma Pea and Eat. Think. Smile goodies from Tiffany.)

WINNING!

Speaking of free things, the other day my mom gave me two beautiful eggplants because she was going out of town for a few days and they needed to be eaten. So I happily took them off her hands and simultaneously decided what we would make for my girls that night for dinner.

SNUGGLING.

As you can see here, and here, I just love to coat things in marinara and cheese, and tuck them away in a toasty oven for approximately 25 minutes until they’re crispy and melty. It’s one of the easiest methods to take a food that is a little dull on it’s own and make it far more appetizing.

I also have to give a quick shout-out to Megan for teaching me this nifty trick, and also getting my trusty hand weights out from under the couch… I mean… from off my floor where I work out every day… yeah, that’s it.

PRESSING.

The great thing about girls nights is that you have a few extra sets of hands to help you prep your dinner as well as clean up afterwards. It’s actually kind of how I picture plural marriage would be. You know, minus the whole sharing of sexual duties.

HELPING.

I imagine another plus of polygamy is never drinking alone. Because drinking alone is not nearly as fun as with your best girl friends. Not only do you get funnier* in your own mind, but you become much funnier to other people too. And if they laugh loudly and tell you that you’re funny, well then they can stay as long as they like. It’s the beauty of wine. *This is also true for your level of attractiveness

Now why don’t you all hop on a plane and meet me here at my place and tell me how hilarious I am? Deal? Excellent.
Disclaimer: I might not be as funny as I like to pretend I am. I’ll get’cha drunk though, and then we’ll see who can keep a straight face.

Eggplant Parmesan
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 6
You’ll Need:
2 large eggplants, washed and sliced into 1/4” thick slices
1 jar marinara sauce
2 cups reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
2 cups whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
2 9 X 13” baking sheets lined with foil

Directions: Lay slices of eggplant between paper towel-lined baking sheets, and place a heavy object on top to press out most of the moisture. Let sit for about 15-20 minutes in a cool area. (This will ensure you’re eggplants aren’t hard or mushy.)
Preheat oven to 350, and heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Coat eggplant slices in egg, then breadcrumbs and fry (2-3 min/side). Once both sides are a golden brown, place on a few paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Move slices to foil coated baking sheet and spoon marinara sauce just until slice is covered, and then sprinkle with cheese. Place in oven and cook for about 20-25 minutes, uncovered.

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STUNNING

Bonus Girls Night Recipe: Once your bellies are full and your wine glasses are topped off, proceed to the basement to play a ridiculous amount of Rock Band and discuss super important things like how Mark Paul Gosselaar is still incredibly sexy.
Lather, rinse, repeat.

Nights and friends like this really make you realize how much you are

WINNING.

…at life.

August 25, 2011
by Jessica 42 Comments

Gym Rat

I’ve talked about my issues with working out before.

When to take a break.

My issues with running.
You guys know the deal. But lately I’ve been struggling with another issue. Before my wedding I got pretty serious about my workout routine. I started attending daily lunchtime classes, and over a year later, I’m still addicted. I have a fantastic instructor and love the regulars in all the classes. I get my workout in (and shower when it’s an extra shweaty session), and I can then go home at the end of the work day and relax. But at a certain point I felt like maybe I needed to do more. The Monday class definitely kicked my butt, but it was very much focused on strength training, and I felt like I needed to get in cardio. So I started going back after work for Zumba or a run, or I’d take a spinning class. I also did this on Wednesdays since the class was all abs. Again I felt like I needed that cardio.

At first it was awesome. I felt great and I could definitely see the results from my dedication. I felt kind of hardcore and was really proud when I would go walk through the gym doors a second time for the day. (If you haven’t picked up on this up yet- I can sometimes be extremely concerned with what people think of me. I know, it’s ridiculous.) But I liked that people would say “Geez, back for more? You’re so dedicated!” And I was.

But then I got sick of it. Twice in one day? One time too much. (Sometimes even two times too much.) After the wedding was over, and the classic honeymoon bikini photos were taken, I cared less about “getting in that cardio!” and started accepting that one trip to the gym a day was plenty, no matter what area I focused on. But lately I’ve been feeling that guilt creep up again, and I’m not sure when it started or why. I’m not so concerned with hitting the gym twice, and I’m much happier just coming home and going for a run (and it’s hiking season again!) But what I don’t want to do is get to a place where I’m running myself ragged, making sure I get x amount of cardio, and this many exact days at the gym- it’s no good. I never want to feel trapped by my decision to be healthy. It’s obviously a choice and some days I don’t make the best choices, but overall, I don’t see myself letting go of my gym membership anytime soon. It’s definitely a part of my life, but I feel like that part is taking over a little bit as of late.

Speaking of being lazy (great transition, eh?), I made these quesadillas last night and they were freaking awesome. They took about 7 minutes to make and hardy dirtied any dishes.

Basically you just get a bag of steam-in-bag veggies, and well…steam them in the bag. Then put a tortilla in a frying pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat, sprinkle some cheese, cover half with the cooked veggies, fold shut and cook for about 3 min per side.

Just look at that. Cheesy. Veggie. Easy.
I call these “Lazydillas”.

So tell me… Do you workout multiple times a day? If you don’t get in cardio, do you feel like it wasn’t a good enough workout? …Just me?

Stylish, Stealthy & Healthy.

Tag Archives: whole wheat

Swappy Seconds

Winning

Gym Rat

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