A Healthy Kind of Love

Well here we are, Friday before the big V-day...

Yesterday, as promised, I purchased 5 chocolate bars with 75% or more cacao to sample and decide which one I like the best. My husband and I have decided to take this task on together. I am hoping to get this done before Valentines Day, but it may be Monday before you hear which one takes the cake (ha ha, no pun intended).

I also purchased a 70% cacao Green & Black bar - Mint flavored

 

I wanted to try this one because not only was it on sale, but it was flavored.

Green & Black's was surprisingly minty and didn't melt on my fingers. I give this bar a 3 out of 5 star rating as of right now. I may revist after taste testing the others.

Moving on from Chocolate for a bit, I wanted to give those of you who are local some nice ideas about dining out this Sunday night with your Valentine.

Open Table has an assortment of Denver area restaurants that you can reserve from their website.

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  Duo Restaurant, in the Highlands, is offering a 4-course aphrodisiac menu with a pricetag of $48 a person. The great thing about Duo is that they are proud to support local organic farms. Whether you believe me or not, organic is healthier!
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  Blue Sky Cafe & Juice Bar would be a fun place to go if you wanted to get a special breakfast, brunch or lunch together. Their menu is filled with healthy options! 

My husband and I are always a fan of a good sushi dinner. Choose a few rolls and have an oyster appetizer together. Top it off with a light coctail and you've got the perfect date night.

If you are feeling more frisky and want to whip something up on your own, you might try making this healthy version of meatloaf with a side of freshly steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Try shaping the meatloaf into a heart before baking it, and with the brushed topping, you will have a healthy heart, in more ways than one!

If you want to go all in and make a dinner your partner will never forget, try one of these menus from Cooking Light:

Wild Mushroom Soup, Shrimp Skewers, with Raspberry topped chocolate pudding

Steamed Mussels, Bistro Roast Chicken, Baby Greens, and Espresso Souffle

Mozzarella Sticks, Posole with Turkey, and Mango Sorbet

I will not be going to extremes this Valentines Day but I assure you, my husband and I will be feasting.

Here's what's on my menu:

Breakfast - Blueberry Shakes (thanks to my Momma for showing me how to make these)

Lunch - Something light...

Dinner - Roast Chicken (in the crockpot) with fresh rosemary, garlic, and lemon

             Freshly steamed Cauliflower

             Garlic Bread (made with Whole Wheat Bread)

             Light spinach salad with homemade red wine vinegar dressing

             And for dessert, a sampling of various dark chocolate bars

I would love to see what ideas you come up with. Email your thoughts and pictures to me HERE

Until next time, Happy Valentines Day! And remember... STAY AWAY FROM THE CANDY MESSAGE HEARTS!!!

There's Nothing Sexy About Veggies...

When I think about Valentine's Day, I think about chocolate, wine, whipped cream, extravagant desserts, and lavish dinners at fancy restaurants.

To change Valentine's Day would be to take away all the sweets and desserts and replace them with vegetables. And so I say... There's nothing sexy about veggies...

One might argue that it's the act of romance that makes the moment but let's be honest. Can you seriously tell me that if you covered your body in lettuce leaves and cucumber slices, it would be as sexual as if you were covered in strawberries and chocolate? I just have a hard time envisioning the act of love making as if one were dining on a chef's salad. Bad visual... Forks...

And so I ask the question: How do we make the Chocolate Holiday a healthier one?

Well let's begin by not throwing that box of chocolate out just yet. Chocolate actually has some health benefits, as you may have heard in the news. It's been controversial for some time, but here are some thoughts to ponder:

• Chocolate contains antioxidants which are chemicals that help to reduce the number of free radicals in the system. Increased levels of free radicals can cause damage to our DNA and are the reason for some cancers
• Dark Chocolate has a higher level of antioxidants than milk chocolate does
• Some recent research suggests that dark chocolate could be used to fight hypertension (that's high blood pressure)

It's not chocolate that's been getting such a bad name, it's actually the sugar in the chocolate. Most chocolate is very little natural cocoa and very much sugar or high fructose corn syrup, which if you know me, is the DEVIL!

The recommendation is to purchase a chocolate that is atleast 75% cocao chocolate. Some of the more highly recommended bars can be found here

However, I have decided that I will take one for the team and do a sample of higher cocao bars for you before Valentine's Day. Since that is only this Sunday, I may not get to all of them, but I promise I will give you the scoop on which ones would be the best for melting and which ones would be best left on the shelf.

More on this topic tomorrow...

Superbowl

This past Sunday my husband and I visited some friends to watch the Superbowl.
Congrats to the Saints for pulling out their first ever Superbowl win.

This festive date has always been an indulgent one where I come from. I remember the feasts at the parties we would attend when I was a little girl back in Virginia. Even now, as an adult, the parties have always been an excuse to bring out the comfort food.

This year was no exception. Upon arrival, there were two different flavors of chicken wings from a local restaurant, trays filled with Ritz (buttery goodness) crackers with cheese, pepperoni and salty olives, salsa, guacamole, and more bags of chips than you might find in a grocery aisle. Top it off with a gourmet style cake from an up and coming baker, and you've got a perfect menu for overeating and empty calories.

I'm just as weak as everyone else when put in these situations and like many, I want to try a taste of everything, so I did. Including the shrimp coctail that got brought out after I had had two full plates of everything else and a piece of cake...

I began to wonder if this movement is possible. How do I get people interested in revamping thier thinking about holidays, especially superbowl sunday?

I am beginning to think that the first step is offering healthier versions to old standards, such as 7-layer dip, and guacamole.

Here are a few that I found.

Southwestern Layered Bean Dip (from eatingwell.com)

Ingredients

1 16-ounce can nonfat refried beans, preferably “spicy”

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed

4 scallions, sliced

1/2 cup prepared salsa

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup pickled jalapeño slices, chopped

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, or Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 1/2 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 medium avocado, chopped

1/4 cup canned sliced black olives, (optional)

Preparation

1.Combine refried beans, black beans, scallions, salsa, cumin, chili powder and jalapeños in a medium bowl. Transfer to a shallow 2-quart microwave-safe dish; sprinkle with cheese.

2.Microwave on High until the cheese is melted and the beans are hot, 3 to 5 minutes.

3.Spread sour cream evenly over the hot bean mixture, then scatter with lettuce, tomato, avocado and olives (if using).

Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 1, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To serve, continue with Steps 2 & 3.

Nutrition

Per serving: 146 calories; 7 g fat (3 g sat, 3 g mono); 12 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 5 g fiber; 288 mg sodium; 164 mg potassium.

Guacamole with Chipotle Tortilla Chips (from myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

Chips:

8 (6-inch) corn tortillas

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder (such as McCormick)

Guacamole:

3 tomatillos

1/3 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped plum tomato

3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 ripe peeled avocados, seeded and coarsely mashed

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare chips, cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; arrange tortilla wedges in a single layer on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle wedges with 1/2 teaspoon salt and chile powder; lightly coat wedges with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 12 minutes or until wedges are crisp and lightly browned. Cool 10 minutes.

To prepare guacamole, peel papery husk from tomatillos; wash, core, and finely chop. Combine tomatillos, onion, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Serve guacamole with chips.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 57 (41% from fat)

Fat: 2.6g (sat 0.4g,mono 1.5g,poly 0.5g)

Protein: 1.2g

Carbohydrate: 8.3g

Fiber: 1.7g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Iron: 0.4mg

Sodium: 207mg

Calcium: 27mg

You can find more healthy versions of your favorite superbowl treats by visiting the links on the side of the page.

Welcome...

I was recently reading my friend's blog and catching up on back-posts from Christmastime. She took some pictures with her phone of the amount of "goodies" that was sent to her office during the month of December.

Having worked in an office for a long time in previous life, I remember the smorgasboard of junk that is sent over the holidays and after reading my friend's post I decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to try to change how we view holidays and how we eat during these holidays.

I welcome your comments and suggestions for healthier holidays and I hope that with this blog I can make a change in one person's life...