To be...or not to be (a tracker, that is.)

I participated in #fitblog's chat last night and the topic of conversation was "Tracking". Do you track calories...why or why not, what do you track, and when? I've tracked in the past and let it slide to the wayside after I got into a good groove, but the chat last night really opened my eyes to the fact that I'm really not ready to be on my own in the "calorie war".

So I tracked all day today, and ended up with 845 calories out of a recommended 1790. So, I scrambled at the end of the day to throw something together that would get me close to that range,  and now feel stuffed and uncomfortable. Should I have just left well-enough alone and sucked up the minimal calorie count and just tried again tomorrow or was I right in trying to get as close as I could to it?

I'm basing my 1790 on what SparkPeople says is the high end of my recommended range (Low end being 1440) .. I ended up with 1532 so pretty much in the middle... However, based on the BMR formula that I have always followed.. I should be eating about 2500 calories to maintain my current weight and then reducing that by 500 a day just to lose a pound a week ...so that still leaves me at over 2000 calories and my 1532 from earlier being still not enough.

What do you do in that situation?




Workout:

Elliptical for 30 minutes ( 413 cals)

Treadmill 10% incline 12minutes (104 cals)

Total of 517 calories.

Betty Crocker Triple Chocolate Cherry Bars

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® chocolate fudge cake mix

1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 bag (12-oz size) miniature semisweet chocolate chips (1 cup)

1 container Betty Crocker® Whipped chocolate frosting

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease and flour 15x10x1-inch or 13x9-inch pan, or spray with baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, gently mix dry cake mix, pie filling, eggs and chocolate chips with rubber scraper; break up any undissolved cake mix by pressing with scraper. Carefully spread in pan.

3. Bake 15x10x1-inch pan 25 to 30 minutes, 13x9-inch pan 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Frost with frosting. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.

German Chocolate Coconut Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) German chocolate cake mix
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut, divided
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 oz.) semi-sweet and white chocolate morsels, divided

Directions:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

POUR cake mix into large bowl; cut in butter and lightly beaten egg with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is crumbly. Press onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Combine sweetened condensed milk, egg and vanilla extract in medium bowl; beat until well combined. Stir in 1 cup coconut, nuts and 1/2 cup Swirled Morsels. Spread mixture evenly over base; sprinkle with remaining coconut and Swirled Morsels. Lightly press down morsels.

BAKE for 30 to 32 minutes or until center is almost set. Center will firm when cool. Cool in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Chicken & Broccoli Pasta

about 8-10 oz. pasta (any will work; I used linquini)
1 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 lb. fresh muchrooms, chopped
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken
1/2 c. milk
1 can cream of mushroom soup
3/4 c. parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
2-3 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 Tblsp. butter
black pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on box; for the last few minutes, add broccoli to water. Drain.
In large skillet, heat butter to saute' mushrooms and garlic; add chicken, and cook until browned.
Add milk, soup, cheese,and pasta mixture to heat through. Add basil before serving, and pepper to taste.

(We had this for the first time this week, and it will definately grace our table frequently in the future! I think next time, I will try it with shrimp instead of chicken, and perhaps add scallions to it as well)

Cheesy Chicken Manicotti

Ingredients

16 ounces Ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (leave one cup set aside)
1/4 cup fresh parsley
1 jar (26-32 oz. size) spaghetti sauce or Marinara
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/2 lbs cooked chicken breast, diced finely

Directions

Prepare manicotti according to package directions.
Drain.
In medium bowl, combine chicken, eggs, ricotta,parsley, 2 cups of the mozzarella and half of the parmesan, mix well.
Spoon chicken mixture into each manicotti shell.
In 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spread 1 cup spaghetti/marinara sauce.
Lay mancotti in rows in sauce.
Spoon remaining sauce over mancotti.
Top with remaining mozarella.
Cover; bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with cheese.

Mascarpone Buttercream

I made up some chocolate cupcakes for the kids, and then realized that I didn't have any frosting! So I decided to experiment and see if I could come up with a buttercream-type frosting that wasn't overly sweet like American Buttercream usually is.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
Using a hand mixer, beat buffer and cheese until light and creamy. Add sugar and continue beating until smooth.

This doesn't seem as thick as normal buttercreams do, but it's so yummy!! If you want to thicken it up some, you can add more powdered sugar until you find the right consistency for you.

Homemade Croutons

I am making a nice potato and bacon soup tomorrow for lunch and I thought some nice croutons would add that extra punch.

4 cups 1/2-inch chunks stale bread
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the bread chunks in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Lightly toss the bread chunks with the butter mixture then place on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned and crunchy throughout.

Let cool then store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Polynesian Pork Chops

4 boneless pork chops
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. olive oil
1 (med) onion, chopped
1 (8oz.) can pineapple, chunks
1 can Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup
1/4 c. water
3 Tblsp. soy sauce
1 Tblsp. honey

Season chops with garlic
Heat oil in skillet; cook chops until brown on both sides
Add onions; cook until transparent (soft)
Add pineapple with the juice, *soup, water, soy sauce and honey; heat to boil
Reduce heat and continue to cook (on low) 10 minutes, or until done
If you wish, garnish with chopped green onions.

*(altho this was, I believe, originally a Campbell's Soup Kitchen recipe, I had no mushroom soup on hand, so I substituted 1 c. of beef broth and chopped a few fresh 'shrooms myself...turned out just as good this time. This one's a big favorite at our house)

Serving suggestion: serve with white rice and snow peas.

Chicken Wellington

Ingredients

1/2 pkg. Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet)
1 egg
1 tbsp. water
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
2 tbsp. butter OR margarine
3/4 cup sliced mushroom
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1 pkg. (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

Directions

THAW pastry sheet at room temperature 30 min. Mix egg and water. Preheat oven to 400&degF.

SPRINKLE chicken with thyme. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken from skillet. Cover and refrigerate 15 min. or up to 24 hr.

ADD remaining butter to skillet. Add mushrooms and onion and cook until tender and liquid is evaporated. Stir in parsley.

MIX cream cheese and mustard. Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14" square and cut into 4 (7") squares. Spoon about 1 tbsp. mushroom mixture on each square. Top with chicken. Spread 1 heaping tbsp. cream cheese mixture on chicken. Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold each corner to center on top of chicken and seal edges. Place seam-side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.

BAKE 25 min. or until golden.


Umm, you see that picture there? Yeah, the one with the minimally appetizing looking chicken stuffed into a pastry? Umm, what this recipe makes-- looks nothing like that. It doesn't taste bad, but nothing in hell was going to make the crust look that good. I folded each corner to the center of the chicken and sealed the edges, but they didn't stick very well. As they were baking they slowly came apart :( If you attempt this recipe, I suggest perhaps using some sort of flour/water mixture to seal the edges.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise

As the New York Times's restaurant critic for most of the 1990s, Reichl had what some might consider the best job in town; among her missions were evaluating New York City's steakhouses, deciding whether Le Cirque deserved four stars and tracking down the best place for authentic Chinese cuisine in Queens. Thankfully, the rest of us can live that life vicariously through this vivacious, fascinating memoir. The book—Reichl's third—lifts the lid on the city's storied restaurant culture from the democratic perspective of the everyday diner. Reichl creates wildly innovative getups, becoming Brenda, a red-haired aging hippie, to test the food at Daniel; Chloe, a blonde divorcée, to evaluate Lespinasse; and even her deceased mother, Miriam, to dine at 21. Such elaborate disguises—which include wigs, makeup, thrift store finds and even credit cards in other names—help Reichl maintain anonymity in her work, but they also do more than that. "Every restaurant is a theater," she explains. Each one "offer[s] the opportunity to become someone else, at least for a little while. Restaurants free us from mundane reality." Reichl's ability to experience meals in such a dramatic way brings an infectious passion to her memoir. Reading this work—which also includes the finished reviews that appeared in the newspaper, as well as a few recipes—ensures that the next time readers sit down in a restaurant, they'll notice things they've never noticed before.

--This was wonderful. I wish I had lived in New York and read the New York Times in the 90's because these would have been awesome to read before attempting to visit some of the restaurants named in this book. The way that Ruth describes the experiences that she had make you feel like you are really there, and the recipes that she includes are absolutely divine, the only drawback to this book is that there are no pictures to see the wonderful meals that she describes!

Whoopie Pies

These are my all time favorite childhood treats! As a military brat, the main thing I looked forward to when we got the chance to visit family in New England was the day that my Nana made Whoopie Pies for us. The yummy chocolate cake, the sweet creamy frosting....

• 4 cups flour


• 2 tsp. baking soda


• 1 cup cocoa


• dash of salt


• 2 cups sugar


• 1 cup shortening


• 2 eggs


• 1 cup milk


• 1 cup warm water


• 2 tsp.vanilla

Preparation -
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt; mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, shortening and eggs. Beat for about 2 minutes. Mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture. Add the milk and warm water and beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat again until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. This batter is for a cake like cookie. Bake as drop cookies. Drop by rounded tablespoons full onto ungreased non-stick cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until the center of the cookies spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the cookie sheets and cool a wire rack or white paper towels.

filling

• 2 egg whites


• 2 tsp. vanilla


• 4 T. flour


• 4 T. milk


• 4 cups confectioner's sugar


• 1-1/2 cups vegetable shortening

Preparation -
Beat the egg whites until stiff; set aside. Combine the other ingredients and beat very hard for several minutes at high speed. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

To make the whoopie pies - Spread a generous amount of filling on a completely cooled cookie. Top with another cookie. Wrap each whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap.

The best banana bread EVER!

I am not generally a fan of a "fruit" bread, they are often-times too dense for me or they are overly moist in the center and dry towards the edges, but this one from my BH&G cookbook really turned out well.

Banana Bread

2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs , beaten

1-1/2 cups mashed banana(5 medium)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1 recipe Streusel-Nut Topping (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up the sides of one 9x5x3-inch or two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans; set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan(s). If desired, sprinkle Streusel-Nut Topping over batter.

3. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes for 9x5x3-inch pan or 40 to 45 minutes for 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch pans or until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean (if necessary, cover loosely with foil the last 15 minutes of baking to prevent overbrowning). Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.

4. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices)

Streusel-Nut Topping: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup packed packed brown sugar and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour. Using a pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup chopped walnuts.

Don't Try This At Home: Culinary Catastrophes from the World's Greatest Chefs

Food is fast becoming entertainment, so it's only natural that it should follow in the footsteps of sports and show business and offer up a collection of bloopers. Literary agent Witherspoon and food writer Friedman corralled 40 gastronomic heavyweights to share their versions of dinners gone wrong. The highlight is, unsurprisingly, the piece by chef and bestselling author Anthony Bourdain. His "New Year's Meltdown" is a case study in what happens when you don't plan (Bourdain admits, "Nobody likes a 'learning experience'—translating as it does to 'a total [a**-f******]'—but I learned"). Mario Batali's "The Last Straw," though not relating a culinary catastrophe per se, is runnerup: Batali was in culinary school when he clashed with a chef; in a spectacular crescendo, the chef hurled a pan of risotto at the young student, but revenge was sweet. But for every fantastic screwup, there's a dud. The translated pieces (such as the one by Spanish titan Ferrán Adrià) fail to captivate, and others, like Jimmy Bradley's tale about how he got drunk on the job to spite his boss, are neither entertaining nor instructive. Still, this collection happily reminds us that even big shots have off days.

--for the aspiring chef in me, this was a pleasure to read. Knowing that those that I look up to have bad days, and even act horribly towards one another (ie: Batali's) and that they overcame and continued onwards towards culinary success.

A double-shot, if you please:

New York Times bestselling author Diane Mott Davidson has taken readers by storm with clever mysteries filled with tantalizing plots and mouthwatering recipes. In her twelfth novel -- her tastiest tale yet -- the ingenious storyteller whips up a rich soufflé of murder and mischief. The governor of Colorado has commuted the prison sentence of Goldy Schulz's ultra-handsome, ultra-charming, ultra-wealthy, ultra-venal ex-husband, Dr. John Richard Korman, otherwise known to Goldy as the Jerk. He's released, and soon afterward Goldy becomes the victim of threats, rumors, and violence. Then there's a murder and suspicion centers on Goldy. Suddenly, she is faced with the challenge of running her successful catering business while fending off two persistent detectives. Caught in a web of secrets and lies that could tear her family apart, Goldy must use all of her considerable powers of detection to find the real killer before she herself becomes a target. (from Google-books)

I love the Goldy series and this-the 12th so far, is no exception. In between finding dead bodies and worrying about her son, Goldy cooks up some mouth-watering dishes (The Whole Enchilada Pie, Goldy's Nuthouse Cookies, and Handcuff Croissants) and Diane Mott-Davidson is generous enough to include them all in the book for us! This time however, they are all together at the end of the novel, rather than interspersed throughout the pages popping up whenever Goldy has time enough to put them together!

One of the recipes can be seen here

Comfort Food

Paprika Chicken w/sour cream & mushroom gravy

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken pieces
1/2 c. flour
1 Tblsp. paprika
1 tsp. each: salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper
1/4 c. green onions, sliced
1/4 c. mushrooms, sliced
8 oz. sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 c. butter

Melt butter in skillet.
Mix flour and seasonings to coat chicken; brown on both sides
Add soup, onions & mushrooms; cover and cook 15 min. (until soup thins)
Add sour cream, simmer, and serve.

This is great on those cold, winter evenings (or to console the brood when your team is outta the playoffs!); This time I served it with breaded asparragus spears and a garden salad, but the gravy is tasty over mashed 'taters or white rice, as well..

Garlic Mashed Potatoe and Beef Bake!!

1 pound Ground Beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz) CAMPBELLS Condensed Cream of Mushroom with Roasted Garlic Soup
1 tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
1 bag (16 ozs) frozen Veggies (any combination)
3 cups hot mashed potatoes

1.) In medium skillet, over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat.
2.)In 2-quart sahllow baking dish mix beef, 1/2 can of the soup, worchestershire sauce, and veggies.
3.)Stir remaining soup into mashed potatoes. Spoon potatoe mixture over beef mixture. Bake at 400 degrees F, for 20 minutes or until hot.

I made this dish tonight and it was one of the best dishes I have made so far. It is quick and simple. The kids really liked it as well!

Just call me Martha

This is my current reading pile. I've been on such a cooking/recipe kick lately and it's been a ton of fun. I created a new recipe (sort of), bought a new apron (Aprons are hot), new prep dishes...

It's an addiction.... I may need a support group. Is there a Martha Stewart/Racheal Ray Wannabes Anonymous ( MSRRWA) out there anywhere?

Variation on Giada's Mascarpone cupcakes

I was bored this afternoon and decided to play around with the recipe that I used the other day for the Mascarpone cupcakes and see if I could make a filled cupcake successfully. I made up the batter as Giada suggested and went ahead and stuck them in the oven while working on the icing/filling.

Cupcake recipe:
8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 box white cake mix
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini tins with paper liners.In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill the mini cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.

Icing/Filling Recipe

• 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening


• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened


• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( the original recipe called for clear, but I used the regular kind)


• 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)


• 2 tablespoons milk

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use. For best results, keep icing bowl in refrigerator when not in use. Refrigerated in an airtight container, this icing can be stored 2 weeks. Rewhip before using.

I spooned my icing/filling into a decorator bag/bottle (Wilton has disposable ones here). After the cupcakes cooled, I took the decorating back and poked the tip into the bottom of the cupcake and injected the sugary goodness until the cupcake plumped up a little, and then did a couple of zig-zaggy lines across the top of the cupcake. (you don't want to use too much icing on the top, as the insides are gonna be sweet enough!)These were a huge hit with the kids and I can just picture how awesome they would be with a fruit type filling (maybe a cherry or strawberry filling with a cream cheese frosting?) or a double chocolate threat...yumm!

I will never make cupcakes the regular way again...

I grabbed this recipe from Giada De Laurentis and I can honestly say that never again will cupcakes by made be the "on the box" recipe--heck, I may even make regular cakes with this recipe as well. The cupcakes were so moist and fluffy and the glaze was this intense strawberry burst of flavor on top of the very light taste of the "white cake" mix.

Mascarpone Mini Cupcakes with Strawberry Glaze

8 ounces mascarpone cheese (about 1 cup), softened
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 box white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and drained
2 1/2 cups powdered sugarSpecial equipment: 4 mini muffin tins and 48 mini muffin paper cupcake liners

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the mini tins with paper liners.In a large bowl combine the mascarpone cheese, egg whites and vegetable oil. Using a hand mixer, beat the ingredients until combined and creamy. Add the cake mix and water and mix until smooth, about 3 minutes. Fill the mini cups to just below the rim and bake until puffed and golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly in the tin then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack.

Meanwhile, puree the strawberries in a blender or small food processor. Place the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Pour in the strawberry puree and whisk until smooth. Top the cooled cupcakes with the strawberry glaze. Let the cupcakes sit for a few minutes for the glaze to firm up, then serve.

Giada's Mozarrella's Pillows

1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce (about 3 cups)
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
2 slices prosciutto, finely chopped ( I didn't have any on hand, so I just diced up some pepperoni)
4 storebought 9-inch pie crusts
2 eggs, beaten, for egg wash
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Special equipment: scalloped ravioli cutter

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place the marinara sauce in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced to a thick, jam-like consistency, about 30 minutes. There should be 1 1/2 to 2 cups of reduced sauce. Let the sauce cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Stir in the mozzarella cheese and prosciutto.

Meanwhile, place 1 piece of dough on a work surface. Roll the dough out gently until you can cut an 8 1/2 by 9 1/2-inch rectangle. Press the scraps into a small rectangle and roll it out to the same thickness as the other rectangle. Cut 3 rectangles from the large rectangle and 1 rectangle from the small rectangle. Each should measure 8 1/2 by 3 inches. Continue rolling and cutting the remaining pie dough.

To form the tarts, place the rectangles on a work surface. Brush each rectangle with egg wash. Place a large spoonful of the marinara mixture in the middle of the bottom half of the rectangle. Fold the dough in half over the marinara mixture to make a 3 by 4-inch rectangle. Press the edges to seal. Using a scalloped ravioli cutter, trim the rectangles to make a decorative edge. Place the tarts on the baking sheets. Brush with egg wash and generously sprinkle with cheese. Bake until golden, about 20 to 25 minutes.

*******************************************

Ok, I like Giada--I really do, but this recipe wasn't the greatest. The prep time that she stated was underestimated, and the amount of sauce in comparison to the rest of the ingredients was very skewed towards having a ton of sauce left over, and the size of the "pastry?" was a tad larger than I would have liked.

It had a good taste overall, but I think perhaps a bread dough or a pizza type dough would have tasted better than the pie crust.

The kids loved them so I will probably make them again.