Microwave Sweet Potato (or Yam)

This is one of my favorite lunches these days.  I was buying sweet potatoes, but they are currently more expensive than yams in the stores I go to, so I bought a few yams to try.  Just as good to me and good for me!

I like to microwave it while I eat a salad or get lunch ready for my two who are at home at lunchtime.

Start with a sweet potato (or yam).  Wash it (I eat the skin....yummy!)

Cut off the ends and cut it in half.  Wrap each half in a paper towel. 

Put it in a really cool microwave potato bag (that I make and sell for just $6).  I heat up tortillas in it to make enchiladas too.)

Close up the potato bag that is made of 100% cotton and it wicks away the moisture so you have a perfectly cooked potato.  Put it in the microwave for five minutes on high.  I usually check to see if it's soft then or let it sit in the microwave for another five to ten minutes resting while it finishes cooking (or cook it for two more minutes).  One other cool thing about these bags is that they keep the food in them hot, so if the kids spill some water or someone calls, I can just let it sit and it will still be great 15 minutes later.

I just slice each half in half again, add a little bit of margarine and salt and pepper and eat it.  

Sometimes I don't even use a fork.  I just tear the halves apart and eat it like a taco.  

As a bonus, they are less than 250 calories, WITH margarine and they fill me up.

What do you eat for a quick lunch? 

Red Potatoes

This is my newest favorite recipe.

It's only two ingredients.  Baby red potatoes and seasoning.  I used these ones:

 Wash potatoes and slice them into 1/4 inch slices (or quarter them if the potatoes are large.)

 Toss them into a glass or microwaveable bowl.

 Dump in a bunch of the delicious seasoning.

 Toss seasonings with your hands to coat potatoes.

 Cover with plastic wrap.

 Microwave for eight to ten minutes on high.  I like ten minutes because I like them a little more mushy than al dente.

 Serve with green salad.  That leaf lettuce is straight out of my garden with Salad Toppers crunchy seasoning and ranch dressing.  Best lunch!

Don't you LOVE potatoes?

FAST Microwave Oatmeal

I used to buy those little packets of oatmeal in the store and tear them open, dump them in a bowl, add water, and then throw them in the microwave.  Many times the water I added would be too much and it would overflow the bowl.  I finally realized that I could just make this myself for SO much cheaper (especially since I had a 25 pound bag of oats to use up!)

I make my oatmeal in the microwave because it's fast and easy.  I'm busy in the mornings. It keeps me full until lunch (especially if I eat a banana on the side) and it's just over 100 calories (breakdown at the end).

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Quick Oats

1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon-Sugar (or just cinnamon, if you wish)

1 Tablespoon Honey (I actually was comparing online on My Fitness Pal and using brown sugar is less calories because you don't need as much of it. I use 2 teaspoons of brown sugar as a replacement for honey.)

Small handful of crasins

1/2 cup water

I keep the baking stuff all in one cupboard, so I don't have to open and close a bunch of cupboards.

 Sprinkle cinnamon on top of oats.

 Add honey or brown sugar. (I don't actually measure.  That takes too long and dirties dishes.)

 Throw in some crasins (or raisins, coconut, almonds, apple pieces, whatever you like in your oatmeal.)

 Measure 1/2 cup of water and pour it in on top (then put it right back in the drawer because it only had water on it.)

 I don't even stir it before putting it in the microwave for one minute on high. (Use that minute to put on makeup or take care of something else.)

Unstirred straight out of the microwave.

 When it comes out it's still a little runny, so if you have something else to do for two or three minutes, now is the perfect time.

Many times, I make this just after I get out of the shower when I'm still in my robe and go get dressed while it cooks.
Nicely thickened, just the way I like.  If you add milk or anything else, do it now.

 Now is also when my toddler comes over and tries to make me share my breakfast.

YUM!
1/4 cup Oatmeal 37 calories
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon 1 calorie
1 Tablespoon Honey 64 calories (or 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar 30 calories)
1/12 cup Crasins 33 calories
1/2 cup Water  0 calories

Oatmeal with Honey option = 135 Calories
Oatmeal with Brown Sugar option = 101 Calories
 

German Chocolate Oatmeal

Pinterest is so good at sharing healthy food and exercise ideas right next to treats that are full of way too much stuff that's delicious, but not super good FOR you.  

I keep seeing pictures of this and this and so many others while I'm starting to count calories and am weaning myself from so much sugar and treats.  I'd look for more yummy treats, but I can't eat any more food tonight, so I'd better stop!

Here was my solution to this problem.  I tried this recipe for microwave blueberry oatmeal (like cake in a cup, but healthy) and had to make it over a little.  I added some coconut and chocolate chips.  It was so good and filling because of the oatmeal.  

I'd like to say that this was just as good as the other treats that I'd still love to eat, but wouldn't be able to control myself, but it's not.  It IS good, but it was probably 'just enough' sugar when I'm still accustomed to too much sugar.

Here's what I did:

Put these ingredients right into a mug:

1/4 cup Quick Oats 

1 Egg 

1 Tablespoon Chocolate Chips

1 Tablespoon Coconut

1 teaspoon Honey (or brown sugar)

1 Tablespoon Milk

Microwave that for two minutes and it's done.  

I tried a recipe with Hershey's Chocolate syrup just after this one, but it didn't work out quite like I hoped.  I might revisit that idea another time.  Maybe Chocolate syrup instead of chocolate chips and in place of the honey and milk???

BEST Asparagus

I finally discovered the BEST way to keep asparagus fresh.  Actually I think I read it somewhere, but I can't find it in my google reader (I searched!) or in the magazines I read last week (without rereading the whole thing...)  Anyway, I FINALLY learned it.
Normally, I buy asparagus because we all (except Andy) really like it.  Then I decide to make it wait a few days and it's yucky and I throw it away.  What a waste!  Friday I bought two bunches of asparagus and put them in my pantry cupboard and later that night I read that the best way to store them to keep them fresh so the ends don't fall apart and they taste good is this:

 If you put it in a cup with water and cover loosely with plastic, it stays fresh.  We ate one bunch Monday night and one on Wednesday and they were still in excellent shape!  I just used a wide cup and filled it with water and then used a fold down sandwich bag to cover it.  I didn't have to refill the water or anything.  I just scooted it back behind the milk.
Here is how I cook asparagus.  It's super easy and delicious.  (I actually learned this from my father in law a year or two ago.)  First you obviously wash it and then cut or snap off the rough ends.
Then I put it in my glass pie plate because it's just the right size for them to lay down in.

 I put about half a cup of water in so the asparagus is mostly steamed and not covered all the way.  Then I shake on the salt and pepper.  A lot of the salt and pepper stays in the bottom of the dish at the end, but it's just enough to season it well.  Here's what it looks like before cooking.

 I put it in the microwave (covered with plastic wrap) for FIVE MINUTES on high and then it's perfect!

 Beautifully steamed and delicious.  ALL of my kids like asparagus just as much as I do.  I hardly ever have leftovers.

I started a little celery plant with the end of the celery in a mug next to my sink.  See the middle there? It's already starting to sprout up a little.  Super exciting!

I'm loving fresh produce right now and can hardly wait until I get to plant my garden (very soon!)

Also, I'm working on losing some weight this year, so I hope to post some healthy recipes and little tips.  I'm walking way more than ever and counting calories and fat and avoiding sugar and junk and all that.  I'm on My Fitness Pal and would love more friends.  My user name is NaDellR.  Any great weight loss tips???

Pineapple Bundt Cake

I got a silicone pan from a company a while ago and finally thought of a way to use it. I made a pineapple upside-down cake in the microwave. Yes, the microwave. The cool thing about these pans is that you can put them in the microwave to cook cakes quickly.
I actually didn't "buy" the pan. I got a notice from a friend that they give their pans away and you only have to pay shipping (about $8.00, but less than a whole pan would cost, I think). Here's the site to get a free pan from the company. Go to their freebie section, and if you don't want to sign up for anything else, just pay shipping. They have all kinds of other dishes and tools too if you don't want a "fluted cake pan".
AND my cake slid right out too! I know some of these pans say they are easier, but this one seems to be!I found a pineapple upside down cake recipe online, but it only used half a cake mix, so I doubled it and I didn't use Maraschino cherries because I didn't have any, but feel free to do that too and I didn't have rings of pineapple, just chunks, so that's different too, but it will all taste the same.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Butter, melted
1 cup Brown Sugar
20 ounce can Sliced Pineapple (Reserve juice)
1 box Cake Mix (I used yellow, but you could use white)
2 Eggs

Instructions:
Spray a microwaveable bundt cake pan with non stick vegetable spray.
Melt butter (in a different dish) and pour into bundt pan.
Spread brown sugar over butter in bottom of pan.
Place pineapple around the pan on top of the sugar and butter. Save the juice!
(If you want to add cherries, you can slice them and spread them around the pineapple here.)
Mix remaining pineapple juice and eggs in with the cake mix.
Pour mix over pineapple in pan.
Bake in microwave on high for 15-18 minutes on a turn table. If you don't have a turn table, rotate every 4-5 minutes. Take out when top looks spongy, and has holes, not dough on top.
Let cool for 5-10 minutes before flipping onto serving dish. (Otherwise, you might do what I did and miss part of the plate and have to slide it back on. Good luck with that.)
I'm taking it to a family BBQ tonight to share. I'm so excited to try it!

Oh, it would probably work fine to cook it in a glass baking dish too. I would probably take less time to cook though, so check on it often.
Update: Everyone liked it. They were all impressed with my cooking skills. It went so fast some people didn't even get to try it and they were bummed.

Chocolate Microwave Mug Cakes

One of my friends posted this on her private blog, so I'm going to post it here for all of you. Her family did it for FHE and the kids really enjoyed it.
I just made it tonight after the kids went to bed for Andy and I to enjoy. It was yummy, but you might want to split one egg between two mugs.
It was cool to watch the cake rising over the top of the mug while it cooked in the microwave and then fall when the microwave stopped.

5-MINUTE MUG CAKE RECIPE
4 TBSP flour
4 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP baking cocoa (dry powder)
1 egg
3 TBSP milk
3 TBSP oil
3 TBSP chocolate chips
a small splash of vanilla

Instructions:
No need to spray or grease mug.
Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well.
Add the egg and mix thoroughly
Pour in milk and oil, mix well.
Add chocolate chips and vanilla, mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for THREE minutes @ 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, don't be alarmed! Dump out on plate if desired after cooking (it will almost split in half, so you could share it with another person if you wanted). We sprinkled ours with powdered sugar.