Healthy, one Recipe At a Time...

French Bread, Baguette

2012-02-28T15:47:00.004-05:00

French Bread made easy, no tricks, no special equipment needed...

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water

Directions:

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and dry yeast together.
Gradually add the warm water to the dry ingredient.
Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until soft and elastic (add a few drops of water if needed while kneading).
Let rise for 40-60 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
To shape the baguettes, divide the dough in half and each half into a rectangle. Roll the rectangle on itself starting from the longer edge. Pinch the dough on the edges to seal. Cut 3 or 4 times the baguettes with a sharp knife.
Let rise 20-30 minutes.
Beat the egg yolk and tablespoon of water and brush the baguettes with it.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

French Bread, Baguette (Video Recipe)

This Recipe Makes 8 servings

Almond Filled Croissants

2012-02-24T13:27:00.001-05:00

I wanted to share my homemade puff pastry to make almond filled croissants, since the first croissants video was such a hit, I thought that this video would be appreciated. . I show how to make them from scratch by explaining the method of making puff pastry step by step,

Croissants are surprisingly easy to make. It might take some time to make the puff pastry because it needs to be folded and placed in the fridge for 30 minutes and folded again 5 or 6 times. But once these croissants make it out of the oven I’m sure anybody would agree that it was all well worth it.

This recipe is my own. There are different ways of making the pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) but this is how I found it works best.

Ingredients:

For the Puff Pastry

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

For Almond Cream

3/4 cup raw almonds (100g)
1/2 cup sugar ( 80 g)
1/4 cup softened butter (55 g)
1 pinch salt
Vanilla or Almond Extract
1 egg

Egg Wash

1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp water

Decoration

1/4 cup almond slices

Directions:

For the Puff Pastry, combine the dry ingredients, gradually add warm water until a smooth ball of dough is form. Place in a greased ball and let it rise for 1 hour. Meanwhile, place the softened butter between 2 plastic wraps and shape into a square. Put the butter in the fridge to harden. When the dough has doubled in size push the air out with your fingers and cut a cross on the dough. Place butter in the middle of the cross and bring the edges of dough together to cover the butter.
FOLDING THE PUFF PASTRY:

Roll out the dough into a long rectangle, then:

1. bring the 1st edge 2/3 of the way in, bring the other edge on it

2. bring the 1st edge 1/2 way in and the other edge 1/2 way in as well and fold like book

Place in the fridge for 30 minutes and repeat 5 or 6 times, before placing the dough in the fridge overnight. Watch video on how to make puff pastry

For the almond cream, cover almonds in boiling water and soak for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove skin from almonds. In a food processor mix together almonds and granulated sugar. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with salt and vanilla. Add the almond mixture. Add the egg and continue mixing. Add the powdered sugar. Set aside. Watch this video for Almond Cream Preparation
Cut the Puff Pastry in half, place one half in the fridge while shaping the other one. To shape the croissants, roll out the dough to a long rectangle, cut it into triangles. place almond cream in the bottom of the triangle and roll it on itself. Place on a baking sheet and let rise for 1 hour.
Brush the croissants with an egg wash, sprinkle almond slices of top and bake at 375F (175C) for 12 minutes.
Enjoy!!

Video Recipe: Almond Filled Croissant (Made from scratch)

Coming Soon: Almond Cream Filled Croissants

2012-02-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

After the huge success and love my first croissant recipe has received from you all, I have decided to make a different kind of croissants and most definitely one of my favorites drum roll please Almond Cream Filled Croissants. The written and video recipe will be up here soon.

Stay Tuned..

Chocolate Almond Pie

2012-02-18T01:31:00.004-05:00

I am a huge fan of almonds. I love, love almonds. In fact, the only other thing I might love more than almonds has to be chocolate. Put those two together and you'll make me VERY happy! I tried looking for Chocolate Almond Pie recipe before but I was disappointed in the lack of any good ones. And then, I did what I do best, I tried to make my own recipe and create the ultimate Almond Chocolate Pie. After a few disasters, this delicious and exquisite pie was born! Let me tell you, this is a keeper!! It has been a family favorite ever since I first made it a few months back.

This combination of Almond and Chocolate is just PERFECT. Not too sweet, and because I use chocolate chunks, after they cool down they give the pie an extra crunch that goes amazingly well with the creaminess and the Almonds on top.

In the video you can also see how I make my homemade pie crust, super easy and basic yet the best pie crust there is! If you guys are interested in a more detailed video on how the make this pie crust let me know and I'll do a separate video for it. However, it is not complicated at all and with a little of practice I am sure that all your family and friends will be asking you "where did you buy this pie from? It's SO GOOD!" haha. I also used a little bit of the Almond Cream to make the Almond Filled Croissants which are another must try goodness!

Ingredients

6 oz semi sweet Chocolate
slides almonds or powdered sugar for decoration

for Almond Cream:

2 cups of raw almonds (250g)
1 cup granulated sugar (160g)
1/2 cup of softened butter (110g)
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup powdered sugar (60g)

for the Pie Crust:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour (150g)
1 pinch of salt
1/2 cup frozen butter (110g)
3 1/2 Tbsp ice cold water
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions:

For the almond cream, cover almonds in boiling water and soak for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove skin from almonds. In a food processor mix together almonds and granulated sugar. In a large bowl, cream the softened butter with salt and vanilla. Add the almond mixture. Add 1 egg at a time and continue mixing. Add the powdered sugar. Set aside.
Preheat oven at 400F.
For the crust, grate frozen butter into the flour. Add the salt and water. Press the mixture together to form a ball. Add vinegar and the remaining water. Sprinkle flour on working surface and roll out the dough into a 1/8 inch thickness. Place in an 9 inch pie dish.
Add the chopped chocolate. Pour the almond cream. Sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes, reduce temperature to 350F and bake for another 30 minutes. Leave the pie in the oven until completely cooled. Make sure the pie is well baked from inside.
Enjoy!!

Flat Bread, Pita Bread, Roti

2012-02-08T00:41:00.002-05:00

This is as healthier as bread can be. You can take it to the next level and use 100% whole wheat flour and your flat bread will most definitely win the award of healthiest bread in the kitchen. This bread is also very delicious and satisfying especially when used for a sandwich. The olive oil I use in it makes it very moist and soft but feel free to crunch it up by broiling it in the oven for a couple of minutes. You can have this bread for breakfast in lieu of an English muffin, with honey or cream cheese. It also makes for a great and quick lunch, just stuff it with left over chicken, tuna or any kind of meat with some cheese and lettuce, preheat in the oven for a couple of minutes and you have yourself a delicious homemade pita sandwich!! This recipe makes 10 to 13 pita pockets, depending on the size, so you can make one batch a week and keep them in a ziplock in the fridge; this will make your life so much easier (cheaper and healthier) if you have to pack your lunch.

To successfully make your pita pockets balloon up you have to find the perfect temperature for the thickness and texture of the bread. If you make the pockets thicker they will obviously need more heat. And if you use more water then you will need less heat. But to make it easy, try to set your stove on a medium heat and see how your bread cooks. If it stays flat, you probably need to turn the heat up. If it starts ballooning and burning at the same time you probably need to turn the heat down.

The key to a perfect pita pocket: practice!

Practice makes perfect!

Ingredients

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups of flour

Directions:

In a large bowl mix the flour and salt. Add olive oil and mix until well incorporated in the flour.
Slowly add the water. Knead the dough until smooth and a little sticky.
Form little balls and roll them in whole wheat flour. Let them rest for a few minutes.
Meanwhile turn on the stove to preheat the pan.
Roll out one ball of dough at a time to a uniform circle, cook in the pan until ballooned up or brown from one side and flip to brown the other side.
While the first pocket is cooking roll out the second ball of dough.
Repeat until all the pockets are cooked.
Enjoy!!

This recipe makes 13 pita pockets;

105 Calories, 14g Carbs, 5g Fat, 3g Protein

How to Make Doughnuts!!

2012-02-02T15:14:00.001-05:00

This is a family favorite!! Everybody loves Doughnuts so we might as well make them ourselves!
The recipe I am sharing with you today is a result of multiple failures and messes. I have tried so many doughnut recipes before and have never been satisfied with how they tirned out. Therefore, I came up with my own combination and I'm happy to say that it's a keeper.

These doughnuts do not absorb the oil while frying so you are not left with a yucky oil after taste when you bite into them. They are great even if you decide not to fry them at all and go with the healthier alternative of baking them.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1 lightly beaten egg
2 tsp vanilla
Frying oil
Granulated sugar to decorate

Directions:

In a small sauce pan warm up the milk and water.
In a large bowl mix the flour, powdered sugar, salt and dry yeast. Mix in the warm milk and water. Add the vanilla and beaten egg. Knead the dough and soft and smooth; add a few drops of warm water if needed.
Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
Roll out the dough until 1/8 inch thick.
Shape the doughnuts by cutting a big circle and a smaller circle inside. You can use any round utensil to do so.
Let the doughnuts rise for about 40 minutes.
In a large pan pour 1/2 inch of frying oil and allow to get hot before placing the doughnuts.
Fry for a few minutes of both sides until golden brown.
Place the dougnuts of a paper powel to dry off the excess oil, then dip in white sugar.
Enjoy!!!

Flour Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

2012-01-30T22:56:00.005-05:00

Not that I have anything against cookies made of flour or flour in general. I just think that if I'm going to splurge on a dozen cookies, they might as well be a little healthier and not just empty calories. Also if you have little ones, they will be able to have these cookies as a healthy snack or even for breakfast along with some fresh fruits, without you feeling bad about it.

Aside from their nutritional value, these cookies are delicious!! They are crunchy when they come out of the oven and I keep them in an air tight container in the fridge where they stay crunchy. I couldn't tell you for how long they can last in the fridge since these cookies don't last more than a couple of days in our house before I have to make another batch. And by batch I mean a 100 cookies.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup softened butter (8 Tbsp)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cups rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Dry ingredients: In a food processor blend together almonds and granulated sugar until powdery; pour in a bowl. Blend the oats until fine; sift and add to the almond mixture. Mix in the baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
Wet ingredients: In a large bowl beat the softened butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla and salt. Add the egg and beat for 3 minutes until fluffy.
Preheat your oven to 350F.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and mix using a wooden spoon. Do not over mix your cookie dough at this point. Add the chocolate chips.
Use a measuring teaspoon (or tablespoon for bigger cookies) to form cookie dough balls and dump into a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

This recipe makes 6 dozens (teaspoon sized cookie dough balls)
Nutritional Facts for 1 cookie:

50 cal, 6g Carbs, 3g Fat, 1g Protein

Roasted Chicken

2012-01-27T23:24:00.001-05:00

Have you ever wondered how to roast a chicken? In this post I am sharing with you the secret of a super easy and relatively quick way for a perfectly tender and flavored chicken with a golden brown crispy skin.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
salt
1 lemon
2 chopped onions
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger powder
black pepper to taste
1 bouquet of fresh parsley

Directions:

TO PREP & CLEAN THE CHICKEN

Rise the whole chicken thoroughly with cold water and rub salt on its skin.
Place chicken in a big container so that it's soaked in salted water. Cut up a lemon and add it to the water.
This will help kill any bacteria and get rid of any unwanted smells.
Marinated the chicken in the salted water and diced lemon for about 2 hours in the fridge before rising it.
At this point you can either cook the chicken or freeze it.
To thaw the chicken, simply place in a large container filled with cold water and let it slowly defrost in the fridge.

TO COOK/ ROAST THE CHICKEN:

Place chopped onions and garlic cloves into a big pot; season with salt and garlic. Cover and let the onions soften.
Add the chicken and let it brown from one side for about 15 minutes. Turn the chicken around and brown the other side.
Add water to the pot until half the chicken is covered; make sure the breast side of the chicken is in the water.
Add the bouquet of fresh parsley.
Cook for 40 to 45 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
Preheat the oven at 400F
Transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!!

You can reduce the water where the chicken cooked until it becomes like a sauce consistency and serve it with the roasted chicken. Or you can use it to cook up some rice or veggies as a side dish.

Burger and Hot-dog Buns

2012-01-20T22:17:00.003-05:00

WARNING: You will no longer buy buns from the store after you try this recipe.

These buns are simply melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Unlike the usual sugar loaded, fat condensed buns, these are fluffy with a hint of buttery sweet taste that will bring any burger or hot dog alive!

I make these once a week and they're great to keep in a Ziplock in the fridge. I usually use them when I have to pack my or my husband's lunch. They're also life savers for quick and easy burgers made with left over steak or chicken. Needless to say that younger kids will LOVE them. My toddler learned how to open a Ziplock just by trying to sneak one out of the fridge. He will happily munch on a bun and sometimes will take a bite from each bun in the bag just to try all of them out.

The burger buns are also great for breakfast sandwiches. I sometimes scramble a few eggs and put them on top of my preheated bun (tastes as good as straight from the oven) top them with some cheese and I'm set for a royal breakfast.

I guarantee that once you try this recipe you will have to keep making it over and over again.

This recipe makes a dozen buns. However, these are fairly big buns, so sometimes I make 16 of them and they are still average sized.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) unsalted butter
1 cup (whole) milk
2/3 cup water
4 cups flour (you might need a little more while kneading the dough)
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp dry yeast
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp water
Sesame seeds

Directions:

In a small sauce pan mix butter, milk and water together. On a medium heat, allow butter to melt and remove from heat before reaching boiling point.
In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and yeast.
Pour wet ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add 2 cups of the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula and well combined.
Add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time and mix well after each time.
When the dough starts forming a time ball, transfer to a working surface. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Knead dough until smooth (6 to 8 minutes).
Let the dough double in size (1 to 1 1/2 hours).
Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces.
Shape the burger buns by rolling the dough into a ball and press with your fingers around it to form a disk. Gently press against the counter before putting into baking sheet.
Shape the hot dog buns by rolling the dough into a rectangle. Then roll it on itself starting from the longer edge. Pinch the edge into the dough and round the ends. Gently roll the hot dog bun to make sure it is uniform before placing into baking sheet.
Allow buns to rise for about 1 hour.
Preheat oven at 400F. Mix the egg yolk and tablespoon of water to make the egg wash. Brush over the buns with it. Sprinkle burger buns with sesame seeds.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Enjoy!!

How to eat beets

2012-01-16T14:12:00.000-05:00

There aren't many ways of eating beets. You either shred them raw on your salad (I have never tried them this way) or boil them in water for 3 to 4 hours depending on the size of the beets. Unless you want to alter their natural taste and come up with a new and creative way of eating them of course. Adding a light dressing (lemon juice, a few grains of salt and a tiny bit of olive oil) helps bring out their unique flavor even more when eaten as a salad. And I am not even going to talk about their gorgeous color!!

There are numerous benefits known to beets which you can read about here. But what I personal love abou them, other than their taste is the fact that they are a natural laxative that will get your bowels moving in a few hours.

I always feel refreshed and cleansed after eating beets, especially if I have a big plate of this purple magic food =)

See you next time,
I love you guys to beets =)

Chicken Stuffed Pastry

2012-01-13T23:20:00.003-05:00

This recipe is inspired from a traditional Moroccan recipe called "Rghayef dial lferran" which is pastry stuffed with ground beef and a tomato based sauce. I attempted this version of the traditional recipe a few months ago, simply because the beef stuffing recipe made these layered crepes very calorie-dense and not very weight-loss friendly. They have become a family favorite ever since.
These pastries make for a great appetizer when you have family or friends over, and a balanced a quick meal, specially if you have them ready to go in the freezer. My toddler loves them and would prefer them over a burger any day of the week.
They are fairly easy to make and more so when you start mastering the dough; it takes a little bit of practice I must admit; and you only need a handful of ingredients. You can find the semolina in any whole food or indian store. I would recommend fine semolina instead of the thick kind for a smoother dough. If it also possible for your to substitute the semolina for all purpose or whole wheat flour, however, the semolina makes the pastry crunchy from the outside and soft and fluffy form the inside which is really the best way to make them. You can also add a little bit of hot sauce or cayenne pepper to the stuffing for a little kick, it will go perfectly with the taste of the chicken. You can also add mushrooms or use them instead of the zucchini, we are not very found of mushrooms in my house.

Ingredients:

Stuffing

2 large onions slided
2 large zucchinis shredded
2 garlic cloves crushed
1 lb (500g) chicken breast cubed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp paprika
1 pinch parsley minced
1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Pastry

1 2/3 cups (200g) all purpose flour
3 1/3 cups (400g) semolina
1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil to spread the dough

Directions:
Stuffing

Brush 1/2 Tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pan and add the onions, zucchini and garlic. Cover and cook until soft.
Add the spices.
Add the chicken and cook covered for a few minutes before mixing everything together.
Let the chicken cook uncovered over medium to high heat until all liquids are evaporated.
Let cool completely before stuffing the pastry.

Pastry

In a large bowl mix together the flour, semolina and salt.
Gradually add the 1st cup of water and mix with your fingers until you form a ball.
Transfer the dough onto your working surface anf slowly add the 2nd cup of water while kneading for about 6-8 minutes. You may need more or less water depending on the flour you are using. It is very important to add only a few drops of water at a time in the stage and allow the dough the completely absorb it before adding more. Stop adding water before the dough gets sticky; we want a soft and elastic dough instead.
Spread vegatable on the dough and form medium sized balls.
Make sure that the balls are well coated with oil to prevent from drying.
Spread some oil on your working surface and slowly fatten the ball of dough into a thin and large circle.
Place about 2 Tbps of the stuffing in the middle of the circle. Bring one egde over the stuffiung; then the opposite edge over the first one to create a rectangle. Fold the one side of the rectangle over the stuffing and the other underneath it to prevent the stuffing from falling out of the pastry.
Pace into a baking pan.
Bake at 400F for 25-30 minutes of until colden brown.
Enjoy!!

The dough made 16 servings and the stuffing made 9.
Here are the Nutritional Facts:

One Chicken Stuffed Pastry : 306 calories, 33g Carbs, 10g fat, 17g protein.

How to make Baguette: Homemade French Bread

2011-12-15T12:12:00.004-05:00

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water

Directions:

Mix the flour, salt, sugar and dry yeast together.
Gradually add the warm water to the dry ingredient.
Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until soft and elastic (add a few drops of water if needed while kneading).
Let rise for 40-60 minutes or until the dough doubles in size.
To shape the baguettes, divide the dough in half and each half into a rectangle. Roll the rectangle on itself starting from the longer edge. Pinch the dough on the edges to seal. Cut 3 or 4 times the baguettes with a sharp knife.
Let rise 20-30 minutes.
Beat the egg yolk and tablespoon of water and brush the baguettes with it.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes.

This Recipe Makes 8 servings
Nutritional Information for 1 serving (2.5oz):

Pecan Chocolate Muffins

2011-12-08T22:08:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:

* 4 eggs
* 1 lemon zest
* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 cup vegetable (canola) oil
* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 cup (whole) milk
* 3 cups all-purpose white flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 Tbsp baking powder
* 4 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2 oz pecans

Directions:
1. Beat the eggs and lemon zest with sugar until white and creamy. The texture has to be light and fluffy.
2. Gradually add the oil, orange juice and milk while mixing on low speed.
3. Mix salt, flour and baking powder. Fold it into the egg mixture little by little without over mixing. I recommend switching to a spatula to mix in the flour.
4. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the batter into the muffing tray.
5. Separate the rest of the batter in half. Mix the cocoa powder in the first half and scoop about a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture onto the tray.
6. Sprinkle the crushed pecans on top of the chocolate batter before you cover them with the rest of the white batter. Finally, decorate with a little pecan on top of the muffins.
7. Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

This recipe makes 20 muffins.

How I roasted my first Thanksgiving Turkey

2011-11-29T08:41:00.003-05:00

We have a family tradition of having roasted chicken and fries every weekend for a late lunch/ early dinner. So I am familiar with roasting when it comes to smaller birds. However, I always cook my whole chicken in a mixture of spices, herbs and vegetables which give it its aroma and yummy taste before I put it in the oven for a quick roast just to give it the golden brown sheen and crunchy skin. Since a 17 lbs turkey was nowhere close to fitting into any of pans, cooking it first in an aromatic sauce was not an option. So I was worried about how to make the blunt turkey meat delicious.
So the day before roasting the turkey I seasoned it with a decent amount of salt, black pepper and ginger powder. I let it sit in the fridge for 16-18 hours so that the seasoning could be absorbed into the skin for taste and the salt would help make it tender as well. Then, I stuffed with bird with herbs (parsley, coriander, thyme) and laid the bird on a bed of chopped onions, celery and carrots. Lastly, I brushed the skin with butter and to the oven it went. I cooked the turkey for 4 to 4 1/2 hours at 325- 350F uncovered and then covered it and cooked for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I let it sit another 45 minutes to 1 hour before digging in.
It was the best turkey meat we had ever had. It was seasoned to the bone, very tasty and tender with a crunchy delicious skin on the outside.

Crème caramel flan

2011-07-08T21:31:00.000-04:00

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter (to butter the ramekins)
1/2 orange zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar (to make caramel)
2 tsp freshly squeezed orange juice (to flavor the caramel)
6 cups milk
2 cups powdered sugar
10 eggs

Preparation:

Eggplant Pasta

2011-07-01T23:18:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:

1 Medium Eggplant
2 onions finely diced
2 garlic gloves fined chopped
2 tomatoes diced
6 oz of spaghetti noodles (I used whole grain)
2-3 tbsp of dried basil
Salt to taste
Cheese of your choice

Preparation:

Chocolate Caramel Delux

2011-06-25T21:32:00.003-04:00

Ingredients

1. Caramel:

2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk (I only used 1 1/2 cans worth of caramel)

2. Chocolate Cake:

1/2 cup 100% unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
2/3 cup shortening
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 oranges zest
1 lemon zest
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups butter milk
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt

3. Butter Cream Vanilla frosting:

8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick/ 4 oz)
3 cups powdered/ icing sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation:

Homemade Pizza in 30 minutes!!

2011-06-20T19:07:00.004-04:00

INGREDIENTS>> Toppings

1 medium onion
1/2 orange pepper
1/2 yellow pepper
1/2 red pepper
1 zucchini
2 tomatoes
1/2 lbs of fresh spinach
turkey pepperoni
2 cloves of garlic
1 cup shredded mozarella
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
thyme

INGREDIENTS>> Dough

2 cups all purpose flour
pinch salt
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4/3 cup warm water
2 tsp baking powder

Preparation:

Nutrition Facts:

Flour Tortillas

2011-06-04T22:20:00.002-04:00

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour
pinch salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 cup warm water
6 tbsp vegetable oil

Preparation:

Hot Oven-Baked Chicken Wings

2011-05-28T22:13:00.004-04:00

Do it yourself!!

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of wings (about 15 wings)
Ginger Powder (1 tsp)
Paprika (1 tsp)
Black pepper (1 tsp)
Salt (1/2 tsp)
Cumin (1 tsp)
Pepper Based hot sauce (1/2 cup)
Melted Butter (2 tbsp)

Quantities depend on your taste and how spicy you like your wings.

Preparation:

Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-05-25T21:37:00.000-04:00

INGREDIENTS

2 eggs
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 stick butter (4 oz)
6 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp milk
2 Cups All purpose flour
2 cups oats
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1.5 cups chocolate chips

PREPARATION:

Healthy Lasagna (loaded with vegetables)

2011-05-21T09:42:00.001-04:00

Do you have a little one who doesn't enjoy eating vegetables? Or maybe you are not a big vegetable eater yourself. This recipe is a great way to eat those vegetables and actually enjoy them!! Otherwise if you LOVE your vegetable then this recipe has your name on it. The favors blend perfectly together so you don't taste one vegetable over the other. By the way, you can keep the secret of using carrots and zucchini in your lasagna between you and I and I assure you nobody will notice it.

All and all you get a delicious, nutritional, unique, creative and under 200 calories/ serving lasagna!!

Ingredients:

8 oz Lasagna (9 CREAMETTE noodles)
16 oz fresh spinach
2 large onions chopped into small cubes
15 oz tomato sauce
3 medium diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups shredded mozarella cheese
2 cups grated carrots
3 cups grated butternut squash
1 zucchini grated
1 1/2 cups of milk
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp paprika
3 tbsp flour
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pan filled with salted water to a boil to cook the lasagna noodles. Cook your noodles as directed on the packaging (don't over cook the noodles since they will cook again in the oven). Rinse with cool water and drain.
Grate the carrots, squash, zucchini and finely chop the onions. In a first sauce pan cook on medium heat the carrots, squash and one of the onions and in a second one cook the zucchini and the other onion.
Crush the garlic cloves and add them to both pans.
Add the tomatoes and tomato sauce to the first pan. Season your tomato sauce with salt, cumin, thyme and paprika.Turn the heat to high, uncover the pan and let the sauce thicken. Meanwhile, turn the heat to high on the other pan, add the spinach and a little bit of the salt, give it a good mix around and remove from the heat before the spinach starts "metling".
To prepare the white sauce or sauce béchamel; on a medium to low heat melt the butter in a small sauce pan, add the flour and mix well. Add the milk and keep mixing until the sauce starts boiling. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
Mix the white sauce with the spinach mixture and a little bit of cheese.
Preheat your oven at 400F.
In your lasagna pan, start by a layer of the tomato sauce mixture, then a layer of the noodles, next a layer of the spinach and white sauce mixture and top it with a layer of noodles. Repeat the layers in this order. Lastly, finish with a layer of the tomato mixture and sprinkle with cheese.
Cook uncovered in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
Enjoy!!

PREPARATION

Homemade Beans

2011-05-19T09:29:00.002-04:00

Are you a Mexican food fanatic? Or just into eating healthy and getting in the right amount of proteins?! Have you been obliged to buy canned beans simply because you didn't know how to cook them yourself or thought it was too hard and just gave up on the idea?! Well then, this post is for you!

Croissants et Petits Pains Au Chocolat

2011-05-19T08:33:00.002-04:00

In this video I share my homemade croissant and petit pain au chocolat recipe. I show how to make them from scratch.

Croissant & Petit-Pain-Au-Chocolat are a typical French pastry. They are usually served for breakfast but they also make a great snack for adults and younger children.

This recipe is my own. There are different ways of making the pâte feuilletée (puff pastry) but this is how I found it works best.

When placing the cold butter in the dough it shouldn't fall in pieces like it did in this video. But for some reason this recipe gave me a harder time making it when I tried to record it.

Ingredients:

- 1.5 cups of all purpose white flour
- 0.5 cup warm water
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- pinch of salt
- 3 tsp white sugar
- 4 oz butter (1 stick)

Preparation:

** Add the appropriate amount of calories for petit-pain-au-chocolat depending on the kind of chocolate you use.

Is my passion for cooking making me fat?

2011-03-29T23:56:00.000-04:00

My husband LOVES chicken wings and I, well, I started liking them as well. Yes, I was not a big fan of chicken wings at first because I did not find it appealing to eat fried chicken with its skin still on.

However, everything changed the day I asked my husband that next time he craved chicken wings to buy them raw instead of stopping by the local buffalo wings sports bar's take-out. To my surprise, the next day he came back from work with 3 lbs. of raw chicken wings.

To my surprise and more importantly to my husband's astonishment my first attempt at making them was a success! They turned out tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, spicy and overall delicious. Of course they were nothing like Buffalo Chicken wings, since I used my own creation of spices, but they were, nonetheless, good enough for my husband to forget about the take-out and start buying them raw regularly for me to make. As the time past by, and because practice makes perfect, my homemade chicken wings became almost a tradition in our house. We have them practically every weekend.

Here is a typical weekend feast.

Baked Hot Chicken Wings

I made sure to snap a picture of the wings right after I took them out of the oven, otherwise they're gone before we know it.

Homemade Anchovy Pizza

Needless to say that since this and many other "traditions" of this kind had been adopted in our family I have gained weight. Which leaves me wondering, is my passion for cooking making me fat? Is "homemade" causing me to eat more? Would I be eating less if it was brought from outside? Probably. Mind you, I always order a salad when we eat out and most of the time I'll have a couple bites and be done. Does my mind associate "homemade" with "safe" and therefore I unconsciously think that I can have as much as I want of it?!

To sum up, cooking at home is very tricky. It might be healthier since I am in control of the ingredients but it is dangerous at the same time because I don't think twice about how much I should indulge. The alarm that gets off when I normally eat is disabled. My food being really good (not to brag) is making the situation even worst. I need to change my mind set and stop thinking that because I made it, then it's okay to have it all. This is what I'm working on at the moment and trying to the goals of my #7daychip challenge.

Would you rather go out to eat or have homemade food if the latter was as good or even better tasting and regardless the time, effort and financial aspects?

Spinach Lasagna!!

2011-03-17T21:40:00.001-04:00

As promised, here is my spinach lasagna recipe! =)

Lasagna is my favorite food of all time... Here is a healthier, lighter and to my taste more delicious version of it.

I'm going to let the pictures speak for themselves and dive right into the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

8 oz Lasagna (about 10 CREAMETTE noodles)
16 oz fresh spinach
3 large onions chopped into small cubes
23 oz tomato sauce
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
3 cups shredded mozarella cheese
1 cup ground turkey
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Chop the fresh spinach and sautee it with the onions in 1 tbsp of olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook until onions are tender-crisp. Add a little bit of milk if needed to make the mixture a little moist an combine with 1 cup of cheese to make it creamy. It is very important that your mixture is thick at this point.
In another pan, mix the tomato sauce and the diced tomatoes. Add salt, cumin and garlic. Cover and let it boil until it thickens. Add the ground turkey (precooked) and sprinkle thyme and 1 cup of cheese. Just like the spinach mixture; your tomato mixture has to be thick at this point.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
Bring a large pot of slightly salted water to a boil. Add in your noodles and cook for 10-15 min or until soft.
In a 9x13 baking dish spread just enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom. Lay your noodles. Dip a brush in 1 tbsp of olive oil and caute the noodles as you dispose them. Then, coat them with half of the spinach mixture. Arrange a second layer of noodles, brush with olive oil and cover them with the remaining spinach mixture. Onto your third and last layer of noodles, grease with olive oil and cover with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the last cup of cheese on top.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 25 min.

Let me know how it turned out!

If you have any questions or concerns please let me know in the comments bellow.

Check out Vegetable Lasagna Recipe.

Lemon-Chocolate-y Muffins!!

2011-03-16T23:59:00.000-04:00

Hi all! It's been a while since I've visited my own blog, let alone post!! ha ha...
Here I am with a very requested recipe... I know, I know another recipe... But you'll thank me later =)

INGREDIENTS:

So to make my famous Lemon-Chocolate-y Muffins we will start by making our chocolate.

- 3 tbsp butter (softened)
- 1 cup confectioners sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder (unsweetened)
- 2 to 3 tbsp half and half or whole milk or evaporated milk whichever you have available

This actually makes more chocolate than you need to stuff 12 muffins, so you'll probably have some left over chocolate.

For the batter, you will need:

- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 lemon juice
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups flour depending on how soft or thick you like your muffins
- 1 tsp baking powder

DIRECTION:

To make the chocolate, stiff together the confectioners sugar and cocoa, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with milk.
Beat until light and fluffy. If n necessary, adjust consistency by adding more milk or sugar.

For the batter, beat the eggs, salt and sugar until creamy. Add milk, oil, lemon juice and zest; mix well.
Slowly add flour. Finally, mix in baking powder.

Crease your muffin tray. Pour about a teaspoon of batter then 1/2 a teaspoon of chocolate and finish by covering up the chocolate with more batter. Repeat for each muffin.

COOKING DIRECTION:

Preheat oven at 350F and cook for 30 min!

Bon Appetit!

Ravishing Cocoa, Peanut Butter Cookies!!

2011-03-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

Oh SOO Good!!!

Here is another healthy and delicious Cookie Recipe!

I have to confess, I have been on a strict cookie diet the past few days. Just because nothing tastes better than these babies!! All I want to have is COCOA PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES! Yes, they're that good! So good that if you don't trust yourself around cookie-deliciousness refrain from making them... ha ha

Note: I usually had a pinch of slat to all my sweet recipes but because of the salt in the peanut butter, no additional salt is needed ;)

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup unsalted Butter
2 Tbsp Peanut butter (I used smooth style)
1/2 Cup packed Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 egg
1 1/2 Cups Rolled Oats
3/4 Cup all purpose Flour
1 Tsp Baking Powder

Yum!!

Directions:

Beat softened butter and sugars until creamy.
Add egg and beat until light brown.
Add combined flour, cocoa powder, baking powder; stir well.
Preheat oven to 350F
Stir in oats. (you might want to use your hand to stir at this point)
Add melted/ softened peanut butter.
Make small balls of dough and dispose on ungreased cookie sheet; leave about 1 inch between cookie balls.
Use a fork to gently flatten the cookie balls by pressing and making a criss cross print.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!! And please leave some cookies for tomorrow ha ha =)

Delicious Oatmeal Raisins Cookies

2011-02-25T08:04:00.002-05:00

Here is a traditional yet irreplaceable cookie recipe. It is perfect for when you're throwing a party or you can freeze the dough and bake it as needed; since this recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies. It is also very healthy and in my opinion a better alternative to the chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Butter (Or 6 Tbsp)
2 Eggs
3/4 Cup Firmly Packed Brown sugar
1/2 Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3 Cups Quaker Oats (uncooked)
1 Cup raisins
1 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

Direction (Watch Video)

Heat Oven to 350F. In Bowl, beat softened butter, salt and sugar.
Add eggs, beat until light brown.
Add baking powder and cinnamon.
Add flour and oats; mix well.
Add raisins.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets.
Bake 20-25 min or until light golden brown.
Let cool. Enjoy!

What would you do?

2011-02-11T22:25:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to make pizza for a while now. But for some reason I haven't had the chance nor the time to make one. So today, despite my busy schedule I decided to make the time and squeeze "pizza" in my to-do list. I hate being rushed, so I managed to have the pizza dough done by early afternoon. But unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. As soon as I popped the dough (I like to precook the dough before topping it) in the oven, Mr. baby decided he no longer wanted to nap in his crib and wanted mommy to cuddle with him in bed. Things wouldn't have been this bad if I hadn't forgot to set the timer... By the time I got back to check on my beloved dough, it was carbon black! For a minute I saw my whole world collapse in front of my eyes. I know what you're thinking, "it's not that bad!" But if you know me a little, you would know that I am horrible at dealing with unplanned situations. I took a deep breath and started debating whether I should give up and order one or if I should recommit and make a new one from scratch. I twitted about it and more people suggested to opt for the easy way out and buy a pre-made one. It sure would have been easier but I would not have been satisfied. Plus, my homemade pizza sauce and toppings would have gone to waste. In a blink of an eye I found my self scooping the flour into my mixing bowl.

As if there wasn't enough excitement thus far, I accidentally cut my finger!! It left me teary, frustrated and seriously considering getting out of the kitchen and calling it a day.

I regrouped and picked myself up a second time. I finished up the dough, got all my chores done for the day, topped the pizza and put it in the oven.

By the time my husband got home and it was time to sit down and enjoy dinner, I had almost forgotten about all my not so pleasant adventures. All we could talk about was how delicious the pizza turned out!! This pizza was worth every stressful minute I had been through today. Just like my husband said "it was the best pizza I have ever made". But then again he says that each time I make pizza =)

If you were in my shoes what would you have done? Order it or Redo it?

Orange Whole Wheat Cake

2011-02-09T21:03:00.000-05:00

This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. This healthy cake can be a great breakfast on-the-go, a perfect desert or even a delicious snack on your pause-cafe! It's also the ideal concoction for your sweet cravings. In addition to how little ingredients you will need and on how easy it is to make, I encourage you to give it a try if you enjoy baking and let me know how you liked it =)

INGREDIENTS:

2 Fresh Eggs,

1/3 Cup Sugar,

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil,

2/3 Cup 100% Orange juice,

1.5 Cups Whole Wheat Flour,

Pinch of Salt,

1 tsp Baking Powder.

Orange Whole Wheat Cake By Zineb

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven at 375 F.

Beat the eggs, salt and sugar to a white creamy mixture.

Add vegetable oil and orange juice.

Add the flour 1/2 a cup at a time.

Add baking powder.

Bake at 350 F for 50 min.

Number of Servings: 16

Fast Food Is My Best Friend!! Or is it?

2011-02-05T08:28:00.000-05:00

I had a very long, stressful, hectic, and sleepless week. We had so many unplanned, frustrating and unpleasant things happened to us at the same time. It was, to say the least, very overwhelming. And to top it all I was/ am sleep deprived which makes everything a 100 times worse.

I have to admit. Fast Food has been my Best Friend this week. It has been my life saver. Well, not really, but it made my life a lot easier. I was so glad that food was taken off of my to-worry-about list. I was relieved to know that all I had to do was stop by a drive-thru to get my to-go “food” or, more appropriately, “fuel”.

I deserve some credit for trying to make "healthier" choices in my quest of easy and empty calories. For instance, I opted for the crunchy thin crust at Domino's instead of the Deep Dish one. This basically translates to a lot of fat and a few carbs instead of more fat and double the amount of carbs.

I haven't had fast food in a very long time. It's been about 10 months I think, I'm not sure as I have stopped counting after awhile. I don't feel guilty for eating junk. As I was just trying to cope with life the best I could. When my life turned up side down, the last thing I wanted to think about or dedicate time to was "what was I going to make for dinner?"

Now, I didn't make fast food my primary choice for every meal. Well to be honest I only had 2 meals on a good day this week. For the most part it was 1 huge pig-out a day, usually in the late afternoon.

For as far as I can remember, I always wished that Fast Food didn't exist. I always thought that the world would be a better place without it. I was proven wrong. Or maybe I still need to work on myself to be able to make healthy food choices even in the toughest situations.

Hopefully it's all over with and I can go back to my peaceful happy life soon.

What do you think about Fast Food? Is it a life saver or just another excuse to eat unhealthy?

How to calculate your BMR

2011-01-23T22:51:00.001-05:00

After yesterday's weigh-in and post, I knew I had to take matters in hand and try to turn things around somehow. I didn't have a plan and didn't know from where to start. But likely, Patrick commented (thank you so much) and showed me exactly what I needed to do. He suggested I checked Bobbie's Blog Post about BMR and anticipated weight loss. I rushed to the Blog and as I was reading (and then calculating) my anger and disappointment slowly faded away and were replaced by motivation and enthusiasm.

If you haven't read Bobbie's post (click) yet, you probably won't know what I'm talking about next. Also, I'm sure that you'll learn a couple new tricks to weight loss, so go ahead. I'll wait...

HERE ARE MY RESULTS:

My BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate):

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
655 + (4.3 x 153) + (4.7 x 65) - (4.7 x 25)
655 + 657.9 + 305.5 - 117.5 = 1500.9

Daily Caloric Need
Sedentary : BMR x 20%
1500.9 x 0.2 = 300.18
Add this number to your BMR
1500.9 + 300. 18 = 1801.08

Therefore, the number of calories I need per day is 1800(rounded).

To follow Bobbie's footsteps, next I will determine an adequate number of calories I will have to consume per day to create a deficit and hence lose weight. The formula she used is

(body weight) x 7

153 x 7 = 1071 (minimum calorie intake/ day)

Also, I have a goal of burning approximately 200 calories per day doing 20 min cardio workouts everyday of the week

I will use the formula below to predict how many pounds I will lose per week if I stay within these numbers (calorie intake/ burned).

1800 - daily consumed calories + burned calories = deficit calories per day
1800 - 1100 + 200 = 900 (calories deficit/ day)

Since to lose one pound it takes a 3,500 calories deficit, I should be able to have an estimate of how much deficit I will create and hence how many pounds I should lose.

900 x 7 (days a week) = 6300 (calories deficit/ week)
6300/ 3500 = 1.8 (lbs)

So if I stick to this plan, I will be losing (let the math be proven) 1.8 lbs per week. Which brings us to the end of the math session of this post. And to the end of the entire post as a matter of fact. I LOVE math (math was my major in high school) so this was fun to do and I'm really looking forward to see the result in practice.

My Go-To Lunch: Salmon & Spinach

2011-01-21T15:22:00.000-05:00

Salmon & Spinach

Salmon has to be my favorite fish and I have been eating it fairly often lately. In addition to Salmon's nutrition benefits (high protein, high Omega-3 fatty acids, and high vitamin D), it tastes so good naturally (at least to my taste) that no calorie heavy sauce is needed to accompany it. I choose chopped and cooked spinach as a side because of all the bonus health effects of spinach (a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Vitamin K, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Manganese. Read More here) This lunch is super easy, quick to make, and extremely healthy. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 oz Pan Grilled Salmon

2 Cups Chopped Spinach

1 lemon juice (for seasoning)

Salt and Pepper

After Resolution Comes Deception

2011-01-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

I have been on this journey of Losing My Baby Weight since the second month after having my baby. It has been 8 months that I am working towards my goal and I have lost a total of 42 lbs so far.

Throughout this journey I have met so many incredibly inspiring people who share the same project of getting healthier and in a better shape. Some of them have reached their goals and succeeded to maintain it for years like @MizFitOnline. Others, I have proudly followed and saw them reach their goals and completely transform their lives and mine as they have become my personal role models and heroes like @tidbits_of_tara. And so many others are still on the path of achieving their goals and yet they have already come a long way and lost over 100 lbs like @JewliaGoulia (140+ lbs lost).

However, along with all these very strong and successful women and many others, came who I'd like to call the "resolution-ists". Or, basically all the people who made the "promise" to lose all their extra pounds on January 1st 2011 or the first Monday of the year and so on and so forth. In late December, I have seen so many people gear up and plan to start working on their goals as if the New Year would bring on some sort of magic and miraculously transform their lives. I've seen people starting up groups and organizing how they will track their potential weight loss. Don't get me wrong. Planning is good. Hoping for a better tomorrow/ future is great. But my point is, if you don't have enough willpower and motivation to bring change to your life today before tomorrow, then you will most likely give up on yourself. Weight loss and healthy-living habits are very hard to keep up with because so many challenges are involved along the way (emotions being the hardest to manage). That's why only the most eager and motivated person will succeed.

January is not over yet and I have witnessed almost all the "resolution-ists" collapse. It's sad, but it also reminds me how acquisitive I was to start this journey. I too could have made a million excuses to postpone the weight loss. For example, having a newborn, being a first time mom, not being able to go to the gym, being sleep deprived, etc. But I didn't. My motivation of getting my body back was too important for me to put on hold.

I want you to ask yourself why and what made you start losing weight. What's your motivation and did it change along the way? Please share your answers and thoughts below.

Cheerful Breakfast

2011-01-17T11:33:00.000-05:00

Here is to starting off the day and week right!

1 medium red apple

2 dried apricots

2 oz raisins

2 oz raw and soaked almonds

I added an organic vanilla yogurt to the mixture...

Voila!

I am trying be in a good and positive mood. I'm making myself enjoy the simple things in life. The different colors in my breakfast are cheering me up! I know that it probably sounds silly, but I assure you it does. Even though the scale said that I was up 4 pounds this morning, I am not making a big deal out of it. I don't need more drama and negativity in my life, so for now, I could care less what the scale had to say. I am taking matters one smile at a time. This morning's smile is in my breakfast bowl. Also I owe this morning's positive mood to @jpnagan who encouraged me with his kind words!

Who or what made you smile this morning?

Starting my Blog!

2011-01-10T20:27:00.000-05:00

Thanks for checking out my blog!

My name is Zineb and, as the name of this blog suggests, I am trying to lose my baby weight and get my body back after having my son! I am 25, a proud mommy of a little boy and a wife to a loving, wonderful husband.

I have been documenting my "Losing My Baby Weight" journey since November, 2010 on YouTube. I posted vlogs, daily meals videos, weigh-ins, and weight loss progress (before and after pictures) videos. I was hoping to find the support I needed to achieve my goal. While, I didn't quite gather the audience to encourage me through this journey, I found that making videos about my weight loss kept me very accountable (and I love it for that matter). However, between filming, editing, saving, uploading and publishing, I found myself having to dedicate all my free time to the video making business! Also, I came to realize that documenting my weight loss via videos was very time consuming specially since already having to juggle job and homemaking.

So here is my attempt at blogging... Hopefully, you'll join me on So tune in and enjoy the ride while we inspire and motivate each other to get our sexy bodies back =)

Healthy, one Recipe At a Time...

French Bread, Baguette

Almond Filled Croissants

Coming Soon: Almond Cream Filled Croissants

After the huge success and love my first croissant recipe has received from you all, I have decided to make a different kind of croissants and most definitely one of my favorites *drum roll please* Almond Cream Filled Croissants. The written and video recipe will be up here soon.

Chocolate Almond Pie

Flat Bread, Pita Bread, Roti

How to Make Doughnuts!!

Flour Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Roasted Chicken

Burger and Hot-dog Buns

How to eat beets

Chicken Stuffed Pastry

How to make Baguette: Homemade French Bread

Pecan Chocolate Muffins

How I roasted my first Thanksgiving Turkey

Crème caramel flan

Eggplant Pasta

Chocolate Caramel Delux

Homemade Pizza in 30 minutes!!

Flour Tortillas

Hot Oven-Baked Chicken Wings

Peanut butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Healthy Lasagna (loaded with vegetables)

Homemade Beans

Croissants et Petits Pains Au Chocolat

Is my passion for cooking making me fat?

Spinach Lasagna!!

Lemon-Chocolate-y Muffins!!

Ravishing Cocoa, Peanut Butter Cookies!!

Delicious Oatmeal Raisins Cookies

What would you do?

Orange Whole Wheat Cake

Fast Food Is My Best Friend!! Or is it?

How to calculate your BMR

My Go-To Lunch: Salmon & Spinach

After Resolution Comes Deception

Cheerful Breakfast

Starting my Blog!

After the huge success and love my first croissant recipe has received from you all, I have decided to make a different kind of croissants and most definitely one of my favorites drum roll please Almond Cream Filled Croissants. The written and video recipe will be up here soon.