Since shopping is not the most available activity to do on the island, I take it where I can get it. Someone I know was having a Pampered Chef party online, so I decided to look around. A few years back, I actually hosted one of these party's and there were a few things I wanted, but I never bought. This is one of them:
So, now I have a cookie press and I hope I put it to good use. After the cake baking this past weekend, I think cookies should be a great baking activity next. I also once went to a Southern Living party and bought a cookie cookbook (yes, I am a sucker and I always find things I like at those parties). I am hoping to FINALLY get a chance to use this cookbook, which I purchased back in 2004 and just rediscovered it in a box.
Next on my list, I had to buy this spreader. While we are all aware that a knife works just fine, I think this is much more fun, and with my new found love for PB, this will come in handy, although it will be great for cream cheese and condiments for sandwiches too.
This one is hard to see, but I swear it is a cheese knife. With all the cheese on this island, it sounded like the perfect gadget to have around. I can;t wait to start using these.
Speaking of things I can't wait to start using, look what I checked out at the library. I also use the Rosetta Stone method, but I was looking for something more portable as a supplement. The benefit to this would that it is the European version, and the Rosetta Stone is Brazillian, which is apparently the more popular version. Yes, there are differences between the two.
Ok, mocing on to some of my eats for the week. I just finished a full 5 days of subbing, and while at work, the easiest thing is to pack lunch...and it is the healthier option too. This was my favorite lunch this week, so I made it twice. I had a light pinapple yogurt, which had chuncks of pineapple in it, I had a kiwi, and then I made a sandwich with the pita, laughing cow and the "canned" salmon. It is not exactly the canned kind, but it is the kind in the bag, which comes drained already, and that is one reason I prefer this product.
I mixed the Laughing Cow cheese into the salmon, almost as if it were tuna and mayo, and the combo reminds me of cream cheese and smoked salmon. Then I stuffed it in this 1/2 whole wheat pita, which I warmed in the microwave. This half pita came pre-cut, only has 80 calories, about the same as a slice of bread (and if you carb count, it was 1 carb choice or about 15 grams), and since it is whole grain, there are 4 grams of fiber in this tiny thing. It was the perfect size for my sandwich and it really kept me full.
Here is my latest and greatest leftover creation. This is one of the left over chapatis (made from whole wheat), which I decided to use as a tortilla. Then I spread some cream cheese on there, topped it with some heated up left over black beans, and then topped it with some surimi because, well, I am on a surimi kick right now. This "burrito" was AMAZING! Oh, and I did try to put too much inside, and yes, it did make a mess, but it was a good mess.
Now for some exciting news. When I made those beans the other day, I was prepping and experiementing for my guest chef appearance on Friday. Check it out on this calendar, which I spotted at the base gym.
I do plan to try and take some pictures and I will let everyone know how this goes. In keeping with the National Nutrition Month theme of "from the ground up", we thought a vegetarian meal would be most appropriate, and I also think Lent is still going on, so vegetarian is good for that reason too. Even my dessert for this meal will include fruit, so the participants will be well on their way to 5 servings of fruits and veggies for Friday. My goal is to show them how easy it is to be healthy and eat good tasting vegetables.
QUESTIONS: What is your favorite vegetarian meal? What is your favorite way to use fruit for a dessert, other than by itself? Do you own anything from the Pampered Chef?
