Slow Cooker Creamy Coconut Steel Cut Oats

Recipe i followed: http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2013/10/slow-cooker-creamy-coconut-steel-cut-oats/

I've only tried making steel oats one other time, it was alright but was very bland. So i was thinking that maybe this one would be better, maybe coconutty. The coconut milk made it more creamy but didn't really give it too much of a coconut flavor. Over all it was still pretty good, just i wish it had more of a coconut flavor.

I still liked this more than the first time i tried steel oats at home. The creaminess made it a lot nicer. This recipe did make a lot of it, i probably should of cut it in half as i was pretty much the only one who was going to be eating it.

I made some toasted coconut to top the oats with. I love toasted coconut. Anyways, i still found this a little bland, but tasted a little better once the toasted coconut was actually mixed into my bowl. I also added sugar to it. I skipped out on the sugar when i was cooking it, but i'd suggest adding sugar when you cook it. It was much better with some sugar added. For fun, i added some coconut flavoring to my bowl. It was alright, but i think i added too much when i did it lol.

There's how my first bowl looked before eating it.

Since there was so much left, i ate the left overs a few times. The texture was interesting when it was from out of the fridge. My best guess at describing it would be kinda bread pudding like. I like bread pudding so it wasn't bad for me. I didn't want to toast any coconut again and my mom forgot to get sugar and turned out we were out of honey too...How was i could to sweeten it now? Then i remembered that we had brown sugar still...Oh that was so good.

If you are looking for something really coconutty, i'd say skip this unless you are going to add a lot of toasted coconut or maybe even just normal coconut to it. But if you are wanting just a creamy steel oats, then this is really good. Then just add whatever toppings and mix ins you want to get the desired flavor you want.

My left overs of left overs in currently in the freezer, haven't tried yet to see how well it heats up from being frozen.

Quaker Real Medleys Cherry Pistachio Fruit & Nut Multigrain Bars

I've tried the real medley oatmeals before, but i wanted to try the bars, i had also found a coupon to get it. I'm not really too much of a bar snacker, like i'll eat them, but i'd much rather have something else instead.

This is the only one of the bars i've tried so far they also have Apple Nut Harvest and Peach Almond. I found that the bars didn't seem to hold as well as other bars, like granola bars or nature vallery sweet and salty nut bars. It could be a good thing though, meaning it's not just coated in sugar or compressed a lot to hold it together.

Taste wise, it was pretty good. The cherries weren't overly sweetened to where you got a tart taste to it, like real dried cherries give off. It did feel like i was eating healthier eating it than if i ate a granola bar. As to exactly how healthy it is, i haven't looked too far into that to know. I'm not even exactly sure if 170 calories is that great for a bar. It's the same amount of calories as the nature valley's sweet and salty bars, but this one is probably better in the long run since it's not just coated in sugar, again, i haven't dived in too much to know the exact comparisons. And burning off the 170 isn't really that hard, i had done a short, maybe 30 minutes, walk with my daughter and had it pretty much burned off, if i'm remembering correctly.

Hopefully that is alright to read.
so i went and looked at the amount of sugar between these and the nature valley's bar, they have the same amount of sugar, so i guess it basically comes down to not exactly how much of stuff is in them, but to what is in it. i wasn't exactly sure what all was in the nature valley one, some of the stuff i wasn't sure what it was. i know what most of what is in this medley bar. Looking again at the labels, looks like this one has less sodium and carbs than the nature valley....would be much easier to compare if i actually had the two next to me...which i'm not even sure to why i'm not doing that lol.

I want to still try the other bars, but would depend on if i have the money at the time i remember to buy them...or if i find them. My mom found them on her shopping trip, and sometimes stores hardly carry other flavors, or they might just get bought out before we get there lol.

Vegetarian Quinoa Chili

I've always wanted to try and make a chili. If most other chili recipes were as easy as this one, then i want to try more. I found this one while looking up healthy recipes.

Recipe i followed: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vegetarian-quinoa-chili/

Okay so writing this will be alright, if i was trying to tell someone, i would be having trouble with saying "quinoa". I'm just not completely sure on the proper saying of the name since it's not something i use a lot to need to know the name. My mom had trouble finding me some until she found this package of some, which this worked just fine in the chili.

The recipe didn't call for all of what the package made but i kinda liked that since it made more that i was able to add how ever much i wanted to. I believe i ended up adding more than what it called for. I wasn't really sure how i was going to feel about this after trying an instant type that was a garlic one, i didn't like that one. This one was good on it's own, i felt like i was just eating rice when trying it.

I didn't take step by steps pictures for this recipe. I stood there for hours cutting all the veggies by hand, my back hurt so bad afterwards. It was worth it though, this turned out really good. I did only use half the jalapeno because i was scared of making it too spicy. If it was too spicy then i wouldn't want to eat it, though i do add sour cream to my chili (even canned chili) to mild out any spicy.

If you have a faster way of prepping the chopped veggies, then this is super easy to make. the recipe itself is simple, just took me a good bit to get the prep done. Next time i'll probably just use my little ninja processor and chop the stuff that way.

My parents weren't really sure about if they were going to like it or not. I think for my mom it was mostly the fact that there wasn't meat with it and for my dad, he's not a big pepper person. They ended up really liking it though. They have it with sausage because they were using it like a chili dog. My mom said that it was probably the best chili she has had.

Only thing for me on this really, it makes A LOT of it. I already had a bunch of bowls of it and my parents had what they had and there's still a lot left. I am freezing the rest so that i don't chuck it but don't feel back about making other things lol.

Sweet Potato Cauliflower Soup

Recipe i followed: http://www.allysonkramer.com/2011/10/sweet-potato-cauliflower-soup/

Now if you looked at the recipe link i provided, i'm sure the first thing you notice is that the color is different.
That is because i'm sure they used Yams that people tend to still call sweet potatoes. Yams are the orange ones, like the ones used during thanksgiving for candied yams. I did try looking up about sweet potatoes and yams, and just furthered confused myself as there's different types of sweet potatoes and wasn't finding exact what i was looking for.
Well I had wrote down sweet potatoes on the shopping list, so my mom got me real sweet potatoes instead of yams. I wasn't thinking about it when i wrote it down about the color difference. Will probably try again using yams since i'm pretty sure that's what they really used based on the coloring. My sweet potatoes were probably also smaller than i needed since i think yams are usually larger on average.

There's everything i used for this soup. The amount of water to use was already in the pot.

My roughly slapchopped onions in the water with the sweet potatoes i peeled and cut. This ends up getting blended up so i didn't really care how neat the cuts were.

After i cooked the cauliflower. my first time cooking it this way.

Everything all cooked and added in before blending. Now i didn't want to wait for the cooling and using the blender, i used an immersion blender instead. then i didn't have to do it in 2 parts or reheat it. It does make me wonder if it would of gotten a lot thinner in texture if doing the blender.

Well in the end, everything i did for this, it was decent. I think maybe from using actual sweet potatoes, and them being smaller(though using one extra to make up for the sizes), the taste was kinda bland. I don't know what the difference off hand would be between using the sweet potato and yams for the taste. I read in the comments that people really like this soup, so i will try it again while using yams.

This way wasn't horrible, but me and my mom agreed that it was missing something. Maybe if someone tries it this way with a sweet potato instead of yams could figure out what that little missing bit is and let me know?

Candy Cane Spoons

These were gotten at Michael's. They almost look fake when just looking at them lol.

So i'm a peppermint fan and my brother pointed these out since he noticed them while working. I've only tried one so far, my daughter has already ate 2 of them. I gave her the broken ones that accidentally got broken when my mom dropped the box.

I'm trying to save some of them for when i can melt some chocolate to dip them in, or i might just need to go buy more of these before they are gone.

My first one i tried, i did it in hot chocolate with peppermint whipped cream on top. The whipped cream made it hard to stir and my cup was a little too tall so i started to lose the spoon before i could really stir.

I did have to laugh when i was trying to stir and took the spoon out and it started to bend from being warmed up.

When i drink things like this or eat candy canes, i get reminded how much i need more peppermint in my life. Spearmint is good too. I think i should stock up on candy canes this year and actually remember to eat them lol.

Portobello "Philly Cheese Steak" Sandwich

I've been looking up different recipes to do. Finally trying to get myself to eat better and this was one of the recipes i found.
Recipe: http://www.everydayhealth.com/health-recipe/portobello-philly-cheese-steak-sandwich.aspx

As i started to prep my stuff to start cooking, i realized that the printed version didn't say how to cut the mushrooms or the peppers. The online version does, just not the printed. So if you end up printing it out to follow it, just make little notes if you need to.

I'll start off with my prepping.

I usually forget to take a picture of everything together before cooking, but here's everything i used. I didn't use any oregano though.

First thing i did was cleaned the mushrooms. In case anyone who reads this wasn't sure on cleaning portobello mushrooms, i took pictures of the steps. First step being just snap off the stem.

Next thing to do is use a spoon and scrape the gills off. I find the edges a little annoying to get completely clean, but just do the best you can.

Here's all 4 of mine cleaned up.

I'm not new to peppers as in eating, but usually my mom is the one who cuts and cleans the peppers. I think this was my first attempt at cutting peppers. 

Most in my family aren't that big on peppers so i tried to cut them a little smaller so then maybe they wouldn't be too dominate.

The mushrooms after i sliced them.

I love onions in foods, but i HATE cutting them. Usually the chewing gum while cutting them works, but oh it so didn't this time. I got the onion sliced (most of it, was missing the guard so i didn't want to get too close) and i was trying to cut the rings into small slices and my eyes started to water so badly. I actually had to stop, put the onion rings into the freezer and had to wait until my eyes stopped watering. I could barely open my eyes from how bad it was. The freezing helped but i think i used about half of the onion instead because i couldn't handle my eyes watering anymore.

After the prepping comes the cooking. Starting off with cooking the onions in some olive oil first until they get soft.

Once onions are soft, add the peppers and the mushrooms. I think my mushrooms were too big for my pan lol. After cooking them for a little bit, I went through and cut them in half to  make it easier to stir and cook.

Adding the flour before the broth and soy sauce

Here's it all done in the pan.

I had my sandwich with chips.

Now that the how to make it is aside, now for the taste.

I don't think i'll jump to make it again, but it was pretty good. Wasn't really like eating a philly, but it was good. I was a little worried that the onions or peppers would be over taking, but i felt that when eating it it was pretty well blended. Could taste pretty much everything but one didn't over power anything. Maybe if you put a little mayo on the bread that it might bring it alittle more to a philly taste.

For being meatless, i think it went fairly well with my family. My mom is pretty set in wanting a meat dish(protein), a veggie, and a carb/starch for dinner. She at least didn't sound like she missed any meat and seems like it was filling enough for her. For my brother, i thought he was going to not like it because he's always saying that healthy foods taste bad. It was agreed that it doesn't really taste like a philly, but it's good for what it was. My dad ate one too, but i didn't get a chance to ask him what he thought of it.

Halloween 2013

Was trying to figure out how i wanted to post these pictures and i just decided to group them all in one post.

Starting off that the first picture is the finished product of my mom's, mine and my daughter's pumpkins. So since that's the first picture, i'll start with the pumpkins.

My daughter poking holes in her pumpkin. That was mostly what she did to it, i did most of the work on it.

My mom had me place the sticker on her pumpkin. She wanted to try the design booklet that had sticks instead of needing to tape it on.

Was suppose to be a glow in the dark paint that you could just roll on. It must of been an old one that didn't sell last year or something.

My daughter wanted a star and since she poked holes all over it, i just made them bigger so that the light would go through.

The pumpkins on our porch.

One of my favorite things about pumpkins during halloween is the seeds. One year i decided that i wanted to save the seeds to roast them and since then, i feel in love with pumpkin seeds.

This batch was just butter and garlic salt.

Tried making a honey type pumpkin seeds but it basically just ended up making some sort of honey candy

the seeds trapped in the honey stuff lol.

I felt a little lame this year that i didn't get to check out all halloween stuff at different stores like i like to do. I did make it to Walgreens and Spirit, just a few things i got, spent more than i really should of because i really didn't need the stuff.

I was going to put this back but it lights up and my daughter wanted me to get it.

A glow in the dark rat. my daughter actually likes it and calls it a mouse.

Another thing my daughter likes.

i don't know if i bought it broke, got broke during bagging, or during walking home or once i got home, but there's little pieces missing :( It's still alright i guess, just a little annoying.

The rat glowing

Mask i got myself

Fun straw i got from Spirit

Got this fun skull cup from Spirit. 

I haven't been taking my daughter door to door for her trick or treating, just been going to ones in town that are the "safer trick or treating" type thing. The stuff gets pretty crowded but i don't know how many people in my neighborhood still gives out candy. My daughter is also still young, so just easier to go to where i know she'll get something. Anyways, here's her costume and trick or treating stuff.

She was a fairy this year.

Me and my daughter before we left

Was hard getting a picture while walking with her, this was the best i got. We had gone to the mall for the trick or treating.

There was a faceboard set up, so my daughter wanted to get her picture taken with them, she had fun, just doesn't look like it lol

Then came home and had pizza. As long as Papa Murphy's is making the jack o lantern pizzas, it will be my halloween dinner (same with v-day and their heart pizza)

Guess to just wrap up this post is to share some fun edits i did.