Sauteed Vegetable Lettuce Wraps

Hello hello! 

This is another recipe from when I was back home. I have not done it in college yet, but only because I haven't been able to get my hands on full leaves of lettuce. 

This recipe is a take off of the Fridge Dump Lettuce Wraps. Originally, I was going to eat the veggies with a fork in a bowl, again considered a pita, and realized we still had lettuce! 

Without further ado...

The Recipe: Sauteed Vegetable Lettuce Wraps

• 1 tsp butter
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1 cup sliced white mushrooms

The Process: 

• Warm a frying pan on the stove (5-10 minutes on high)
• Once the pan is warm, add the butter and move the pan so that it spreads. Lower the heat to low-medium. 
• Add broccoli and green beans to the pan. 
• Add salt and pepper and mix with a spatula. 
• Add carrots to the pan and mix with a spatula. 
• Add mushrooms to the pan and mix with a spatula. 
• Allow the mixture to cook, covered, for 5-7 minutes. You will be able to smell when the vegetables are done, and they will be slightly browned. 
• Remove mixture and put in a bowl or on a plate. 
• Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves. 
• Wrap and enjoy! 

The calories: 

Carrots: 50 calories

Green Beans: 77 calories

Mushrooms: 68 calories

Butter: 25 calories

Salt/Pepper: insignificant calories

Lettuce: 6 calories

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TOTAL: 176 calories

This entire recipe is very low calorie and very high satisfaction!

What went right:
          It was all delicious and super healthy!

What went wrong:
          Nothing really...although for the sake of balance, adding rice would have made it even better.

Would I do this again?: 
          Yes, definitely!

Overall this was a great take off of multiple food ideas and I look forward to having it with rice and maybe cabbage in the future!

No-Bake Halloween Truffles

Hey Dessert Lovers!

Today's recipe is a Pinterest favorite with a little collegiate, Halloween flair!

It's not necessarily the most healthy (by any means), but my hall went for a run tonight to make up for it. Sometimes in college, it's necessary to let yourself have a little fun...especially for fall break.

Thank you to Jordie for holding this program and cooking with me!

The Recipe: No-Bake Truffles

• 1 package of Oreos
• 1 package of Cream Cheese
• Hershey Syrup
• Halloween Sprinkles

The Process:

1. Crush Oreos in a bowl until relatively fine (using the back of a wooden spoon...Pinterest typically recommends crushing them in a bag, but college students use what they can find)
2. Mix in Cream Cheese using multiple spoons (the mix will get stuck to all spoons involved...be patient!)
3. Ball the mixture and put on a baking pan 
4. Drizzle with Hershey Syrup
5. Add sprinkles to taste
6. Freeze for 45 minutes
7. Indulge with friends :) 

The Calories: ...I almost don't want to...

Oreos: 1800 calories

Cream Cheese: 776 calories

Chocolate Syrup (about 4 tbsp): 200 calories

Sprinkles (about 4 tbsp): 240 calories

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TOTAL: 3016 calories

Our balls were pretty big, so we made 28. This means each ball had 108 calories.Smaller balls would have fewer calories per ball. 

What went right:

        Absolutely fantastic and delicious!!!

What went wrong:

        There is such a thing as too much. I definitely ate more of these than anyone else, they were just amazing. I never thought I would love Oreos so much...I really don't like Oreos that much as they are but these are addictive. 

Would I make them again?:

        We will definitely be using this recipe again. I can see it being a great party treat to make at home with the family. Additionally, I think the recipe would make a good cake or pie topper, or layer. This might also taste amazing in a s'more, with rice crispies and peanut butter, or with other drizzles on top. Dessert on the brain, folks. 

Overall, this was a great way to end fall break and break out of my sick person food routine. I ate nothing but soup, rice, tea, orange juice, and bananas for the past week, so it was great to eat something sinfully delicious again. Our cafeteria should really make these...or maybe it's better they don't ;) 

Pizza Bagels

Hello and welcome!

I'm sure you're looking at "Pizza Bagels" and wondering where the fitness comes into play. Fitness is determined by a lot of factors, and sometimes, it is good for your body to eat the healthier version of something entirely "normal" rather than deprived of one ingredient or another. In the long run, as long as you don't overeat, you can really eat whatever you want.

That said, this recipe is one I made with a friend yesterday. We are on fall break now, which means the cafeteria is closed, so cooking is a must if you plan to eat and not go broke. Fortunately for me, cooking is no problem! Especially with a recipe that is so quick and easy.

The bagels for these pizza bagels were originally from Panera Bread, but I kept them in my freezer for a  few weeks and thawed them out for an hour or so before cooking. Thank you to my grandmother for that bread-saving tip!

The Recipe: Pizza Bagels

• Three bagels (of any kind), sliced in half
• Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce (amount to your liking, I used about 1 TBSP per 1/2 bagel)
• Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

The Process:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Thaw bagels if necessary.
3. Spread sauce on inner face of each bagel half. 
4. Sprinkle shredded cheese on inner face of bagel half. 
5. Bake for about 10 minutes (depending on your oven). 
6. Enjoy! 

The Calories:

1/2 Bagel: 105 calories

1 TBSP Sauce: 10 calories

1 TBSP Mozzarella: 50 calories

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TOTAL: 165 calories

Not bad!! This is about as filling as a slice of pizza, but much lighter and more healthy. There is far less butter involved in bagels compared to pizza crusts. My friend and I each ate three, making our total consumption 495 calories. 

What went right: 

          The bagels came out nicely, they were cooked for the right amount of time to allow the sauce to soak into the bread. Additionally, we used a plain, whole wheat, and cranberry raisin bagel, and all three had a completely unique but amazing taste. The cranberry raisin was the best in my opinion. 

What went wrong: 

          While I thought there was plenty of sauce, my friend felt there was not enough. Because sauce is a matter of personal preference, it is best to apply the sauce yourself so you know how much looks like a good amount to you. I think he thought there was not enough because, as pasta sauce rather than pizza sauce, the sauce that remained on top of the bagel rather than soaked into it was not still liquid like pizza sauce, but firmly attached to the bread the way baked pasta sauce soaks into pasta. I might try this again with pizza sauce instead, to see if there is a difference. 

Would I do this again?:

           Yes! I loved these and will definitely be making more pizza bagels in the future. Look out for Pizza Bagel Sandwiches, which will happen after I acquire toppings to put in the middle of two Pizza Bagel slices. 

Overall, a fun, easy meal to make. It was healthy and satisfying, and clean up was not very labor intensive. A perfect college meal if I do say so myself!