beef vs. turkey

Whether you're making burgers, meatballs, pasta sauce, or chili, the default meat is often beef. It's what most of us grew up with and it's what is usually served in restaurants. Our taste buds do not associate those meals with any other meat. Lately, there has been a revolution in the health-food world and it's life-changing! 

Ground turkey.

My first experience with this meat was when my neighbors invited the hubs and I over for dinner several months ago. My friend Kelsey--who has recently moved away to Oklahoma, land of none other than Pioneer Woman--enjoys cooking as much as I do and grilled up some burgers for us that evening. When she mentioned they were turkey burgers and asked if that was okay, I'll admit I was hesitant at first but excited to see what the hype was about! 

They were amazing.

Since that fateful day, I have not purchased ground beef. I cook with lean ground turkey on a regular basis--it is just as versatile with beef and tastes great in Mexican, Italian, and American dishes. I haven't boycotted beef, and I do still eat it occasionally. However, there has been intensive research over the past several years concerning the regular consumption of red meat--read about it here in this New York Times article. 

Overall, turkey is definitely the healthier option of the two meats. And if you can train your taste buds to love it, that's one little healthy substitution you can make in your cooking that might end up making a big difference in your overall health. Many of my recipes on this blog will contain ground turkey instead of beef. In fact, stay tuned for my favorite ground turkey chili recipe coming soon!!

xo.

PS: You can visit Jennie-O for recipe ideas and nutritional information about their turkey products here.

spiced tea

My mom has been making this tea mix for years. She always keeps the ingredients handy to whip up some tea for herself or as gifts during the holidays. I finished the batch she made me in only a couple of weeks, and it's about time I make some more! It is a very comforting, yummy drink that is perfect for cold nights curled up on the sofa with a good book. Enjoy! xo.

Ingredients 

9 oz. Tang, orange flavored

3 pkgs powdered lemonade, such as Kool-Aid

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup instant tea, such as Lipton

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. nutmeg

Red hots, as desired [I like LOTS of these!]

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

2. Transfer mix to tightly sealed container[s].

3. To make tea, use 2 tsp. mix for 1 cup hot water. Makes 50 servings.

Gift Idea

Consider packaging some of this spiced tea in a sweet little glass jar [with a snug lid to keep out moisture]. Walmart has adorable lidded jars that would be perfect for holding tea.

Adorn the jar with ribbon, fabric... you name it! Make sure to add a tag with instructions for making the tea.

chocolate peanut butter crisps

Heavenly. There is no other word to describe these "cookies".

I first tried these when I visited my grandmother's friend during Christmas several years ago. She had made these for us and I loved them. Fast forward to today, and I am married to a wonderful man who loves anything with chocolate and peanut butter. He doesn't have as big of a sweet tooth as I do, but this combination is his weakness. On a whim at the grocery story this evening, as I was picking up Theraflu and chicken noodle soup for my sick significant other, I grabbed the three ingredients I'd need to create these no-bake cookies.

Let's get started!

Ingredients (recipe makes 16 cookies)

Ritz Crackers (regular, whole grain, reduced fat... whatever floats your boat)

Creamy peanut butter

Chocolate almond bark or Candyquik

Directions

1. Open up one roll of Ritz Crackers. Smear peanut butter between 2 crackers to make a sandwich, and continue until you are done with the roll. You should have 16 sandwiches. I had one lone cracker leftover but it was broken. Sad face. :(

2. Break apart the almond bark or Candyquik. I used 4 squares of almond bark and it was the perfect amount. If you use Candyquik, use  a few chunks and if you need more, you can always add more!

3. Put the chunks of almond bark/candy coating into a coffee mug. Coffee mugs are great for dipping because they are not very wide but are deep enough to submerge your cookies.

4. Put the mug in the microwave for about a minute, but pause it periodically to stir it and make sure it is melting evenly and not burning. I had to microwave mine for several 15 second intervals--stirring in between--until my chocolate was evenly melted.

5. Drop a sandwich into the mug of chocolate and use a spoon to turn it around and coat it with chocolate. Once it is completely coated, lift it out of the mug with the spoon. I had to use the flat side of a butter knife to lightly brush off the excess chocolate from the top of the cookie back into the mug. 

6. Place coated sandwich cookies on a wax paper-covered cookie sheet to harden. Once you have finished coating all the sandwiches, transfer the cookie sheet to the refrigerator to finish hardening. This won't take long! In the meantime, pour a glass of milk and get ready to enjoy heavenly chocolate-peanut butter bliss.

xo.

perfect pizza crust

Pssst... I have a secret to share. Truthfully, I have been keeping this information to myself for several months and it's time I let it out. I found a recipe for the perfect pizza crust. A while back, I had my heart set on finding such a recipe, and luckily the first one I tried was a keeper.

It's thin, it's crispy, and... healthy! Well, healthier than store-bought dough and take-out! With a few simple ingredients, you, too, will be on your way to making gourmet pizza that will impress friends and family! You can thank me later.

Ingredients for 2 pizzas (adapted from SparkPeople.com)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour (if you don't like wheat, just use all-purpose)

1.5 tsp (or 1/4 oz.) active dry yeast

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup warm water

1/2 - 1 tbsp olive oil

Cornmeal for sprinkling (optional. I didn't use it)

1 tbsp each garlic powder, italian seasoning, onion powder, or whatever spices you want (to taste)

Pinch of sugar

Directions

1. Mix a pinch of sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast on top. Wait for 10 minutes or until it gets all foamy.

2. Pour into a large bowl and add flour, salt, seasonings, and olive oil. Combine. Let me just say a good dose of garlic salt or powder is an excellent addition and adds tons of flavor!

3. Knead dough for 6-8 minutes until you have a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (add a bit more flour if it's too sticky.)

4. Cover and let dough rest for 20-30 minutes.

5. Lightly grease 2 12-inch pizza pans (or cookie sheets. I made rectangle pizzas.) Sprinkle the pans with cornmeal if you choose. I skip this step.

6. Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a pizza pan and pat it with your fingers until it stretches over the whole pan.

7. Try to make it a little thicker around the edges.

8. If desired, pre-bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes. This gets the crust extra crispy! You can skip this step and go ahead and add toppings if you want.

9. Spread pizza sauce on crust and add toppings of your choice.

10. Bake at 425 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Bake 10-15 minutes if you did not pre-bake the crust (step 8).

[half tomato & basil, half pepperoni]

*If you don't want to use all the dough, you can freeze it. Just form the extra dough into a ball, rub a little bit of olive oil over it, and place it in a freezer bag. When you want to make a pizza, take the dough out of the freezer and allow to thaw a few hours before using. One pizza is definitely enough to split between 2 people! [Picture shown is half of dough.]

Bon appetit! xo.

cranberry crush

I am crazy about cranberry this season! As I start to bulk up my cold-weather wardrobe, this color is going to be essential. Whether you add a single item for a pop of color, or go monotone with a berry sweater dress over berry tights (with some brown boots--ooh la la!), this color is gorgeous on every skin tone and is perfect for fall/winter. Here are a few cranberry-hued items that I absolutely adore at the moment. xo.

1. Women's Jersey Maxi Skirt, Old Navy; 2. Velvet Bow by China Glaze (Limited Edition), ULTA; 3. Sparkle & Fade Drapey Open Cardigan, Urban Outfitters; 4. Ribbed Cable Knit Tights, Forever 21; 5. Classic Knit Beanie, Forever 21; 6. LC Lauren Conrad Chiffon-Trim Sweater Dress, Kohl's.