I roasted butternut squash for dinner last night! Yum, though it was a bear to peel. When I boil it I just chop it up and then scoop the "meat" off the skin, but I did really small pieces to roast (so it'd cook faster). Had that with 1/2 pork chop and some sauteed sweet onions/red pepper/mushrooms. Great dinner.
No one's posted to this thread for a bit so I thought I'd bump it up...
Azmom, we were chatting a while back about Stevia and I'd asked you about baking with it. Thought I'd give you an update. I made my homemade scones with Now brand stevia. They were HORRIBLE! So bad in fact that my DH and I through them out! A whole batch, **snif** They had the weirdest bitter after taste that would not go away. Uggggh, we were both tasting it even after brushing our teeth. Yuck. I've never had this after taste/bitter issue when using it in lemonaid or tea so maybe it's the baking process that did it. Anyway that's the last time I'll do that. Next batch of scones it's back to sugar. I figure it's only 2/3 cup for 8 scones and we don't eat sugar in other things so a regular sugar scone occasionally isn't going to kill us.
Still loooooving yams. And I roasted green beans, asparagus, carrots, new potatoes and broccoli in the oven for dinner last night. That with some cod and it was a wonderful dinner. So very yummy!
I loaned my SuperFoods Rx book to my friend and can't get it back from her! LOL. Anyone have another good whole foods recipe book suggestion?
Beth- Have you ever tried agave nectar as a sweetener? I buy it in health food stores or in bulk from Sweet Cactus Farms. My ds and dh can taste the metallic aftertaste in all artificial sweeteners and stevia, so I don't use them in anything for the family. Agave nectar is made from the syrup of the agave cactus- the same stuff tequila is made from. It has the consistency of a light honey, but has a much lower glycemic index than sugar, honey or maple syrup. I've baked with it, used it as a spread on oatmeal pancakes, out it in tea...very versatile stuff!
I have been enjoying hot cocoa lately BUT I really don't want to use artificial sweeteners so I was in a dilemma. I bought some agave nectar to try to make cocoa with and it is still a bit of trial and error. I bought cocoa powder from TJs, some nonfat milk and have been trying different mixtures. Normally, I'm against drinking any calories but I figure it is a decent after dinner "treat".
Nelie, I'm with you in being against drinking my calories (except an occasional glass of wine ) and what I like in the evening is hot tea (black) with non-fat milk. It has flavor to satisfy me (unlike water) and not enough caffeine to bother me. Lately we've been playing a hand or two of cribbage or rumicube and having tea about an hour before bedtime. Are we old or what?
I just wanted everyone to know that I tried roasting my fresh green beans last night. I started with those because my family loves green beans. DD proclaimed them the best I've ever done (I usually steam them) and that they tasted like French fries. She also said that if I cooked vegetables like this all the time that she'd eat more of them.
Next time, broccoli and cauliflower (cuz that's all that I have in the fridge--I'm looking to having more salads this week).
Ok, I am definitely going to try to roast the fresh green beans. They are probably my least favorite veggie. If I can learn to like cauliflower roasted, them I am sure I can learn to like green beans as well!
I am so into butternut squash! I had it last night with dinner and the leftovers this morning for breakfast with a soy sausage patty. Yum...a new fav for breakfast.
Have any of you tried the MorningStar breakfast sausages? My sister turned them on to me 2 years a go and I just love them. I think they are only 80 cals and 10 grams of protein with 3 grams of fat. To me, they taste just like "real" sausage!! I DO NOT like the Trader Jo's brand of them though...just did not compare in taste!!
Beth-sorry your stevia scones didn't work out! Have you had a chance to try the flavored stevia liquids yet? I am going to pick up the lemon drop this week...I think it will be great mixed with sparkling mineral water!
I've got to try the butternut squash next. But Waterrat kinda scared me with the peeling.
My daughter eats the Morningstar Farms sausage patty. I don't like the smell. BUt I do eat their veggie burgers, the Chick Patty and the Spicy Bean Burger varieties.
And I'm another one who never liked to drink her calories. Even when I was 287 lbs funny enough. That of all things seemed like a huge waste. I like to CHEW my calories. But, my one exception every now and then is a Sugar Free hot cocoa. I do look at it as a nice CHOCOLATE after dinner treat.
Last night we had a friend over for dinner. I bought a roasted chicken from the grocery store and made a huge (9x12) pan of roasted veggies: asparagus, broccali, green beans, new red potatoes, carrots. I roasted them for about an hour and then left them in the oven while I warmed the chicken and heated some ww rolls. I thought we'd have tons of left over veggies and not enough chicken. Turns out almost all the veggies were eaten and we had chicken left over! Roasted veggies are a HUGE hit here now. My DH can't get enough and I'm soooooooo happy about that because he's a meat and potatoes guy and I always worry because he doesn't eat enough veggies. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to whoever first posted in this thread about roasting veggies. You may have just helped my DH's health! I know that sounds dramatic but I really think it's true. He went from eating veggies maybe three meals a week to now ASKING for them! Holy Hannah!!!
I really like the Morning Star Farms sausage patties also. One of those and some scrambled egg whites is a great breakfast for me.
You might also try this: Morning Star Farms crumbles. I add some crumbles to my egg white while they cook in the pan and then sprinkle a little ff cheese when it is done and roll it up in a ww tortilla. Yummy!
I like both the crumbles and the sausages as well. Robin, try the butternut squash - it is awesome! And whoever posted the idea of cutting it in half (scooping out seeds of course) and then roasting it and scooping it out of the skin is a genius. That's how I boil/nuke it, so why not roast it that way - duh! Anyway, my next effort is to try roasting frozen green beans. I have lots that I grew and froze, and I just don't like them boiled/steamed.
Had an awesome "fried" rice last night. Sauteed in spray onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms and red peppers. When they were all soft added some cooked chicken cut small and a bunch of leftover brown rice. Finished it off with a little Yoshida's gourmet sauce. Delicious!
Beth, Is there any special way to roast the veggies? I tried cauliflower once and it got really brown. I didn't like it.
All I did was cut up a bunch that I liked, put them in a 9x12 pan, tossed with olive oil, salt & pepper. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes, stir to mix it up and bake for another 30 minutes. They were great however some do get brown but we liked them. I loath cauliflower in any form (would rather eat a rock, LOL) so can't give you any tips for that particular veggie except to maybe not roast for so long/check it more fequently.
They had the weirdest bitter after taste that would not go away. Uggggh, we were both tasting it even after brushing our teeth. Yuck. I've never had this after taste/bitter issue when using it in lemonaid or tea so maybe it's the baking process that did it. Anyway that's the last time I'll do that. Next batch of scones it's back to sugar. I figure it's only 2/3 cup for 8 scones and we don't eat sugar in other things so a regular sugar scone occasionally isn't going to kill us.
) and what I like in the evening is hot tea (black) with non-fat milk. It has flavor to satisfy me (unlike water) and not enough caffeine to bother me. Lately we've been playing a hand or two of cribbage or rumicube and having tea about an hour before bedtime. Are we old or what? 
Roasted veggies are a HUGE hit here now. My DH can't get enough and I'm soooooooo happy about that because he's a meat and potatoes guy and I always worry because he doesn't eat enough veggies. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to whoever first posted in this thread about roasting veggies. You may have just helped my DH's health! I know that sounds dramatic but I really think it's true. He went from eating veggies maybe three meals a week to now ASKING for them! Holy Hannah!!! 
