Category Archives: Food

Food, Going Healthy, NuttZo, Soft Star Shoes, WIAW

WIAW #7: Homemade Pizza Crust Fail

04/08/2015 R.C. Liley 10 Comments

I blame the kid. Surely my homemade pizza crust would’ve turned out perfectly without little grabby hands reaching up and pulling the parchment paper as I tried to knead the dough. Or maybe I’m just trying to point the blame on something else other than my lack of pizza crust making skills.

Regardless, my wife graciously ate my thick, non-fluffy wannabe pizza crust creation for dinner and even said she liked it. With a little help from goat cheese, balsamic vinegar, and green onions, that is.

She’s a keeper, that’s for sure. Of course, I knew that a long time ago; hence the whole marriage thing. 🙂

Despite my crust making fail, I did make the frittata recipe I never made a reality. I couldn’t stop thinking about it after writing it down and sharing it last week, so a few days later, I made it!

Check out my post with the recipe and step-by-step tutorial if you’d like this in your kitchen. And I know you do! Click here —-> NuttZo Cinnamon Banana Frittata Recipe

All I know, is this will be a multi-repeat creation in our house.

Now, how about a little WIAW action! Thanks as always to the wonderful Jenn from Peas and Crayons, for creating this fun link-up for foodies everywhere!

To join in the fun, head over to The Big Man’s World for this week’s party!

I started the day with an entire French Press of black coffee and a packet of Pyure Sweet Organic Stevia. Great, simple combo that never lets me down!

Meanwhile, Avery turned a NuttZo banana happy face into no face rather quickly.

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After finishing my workout for the day, I downed an un-pictured leftover green protein smoothie I made the night before. It never tastes as good as fresh, but I’m not trying to savor anything post workout anyway.

Lunch was steamed zucchini and mixed veggies with chicken sausage and spaghetti squash with a pat of butter. Veggies + butter = delicious happiness!

On the side was my non-pizza pizza crust smeared with black garlic, avocado, and a sprinkle of sea salt.

I made a large batch of slow-cooker shredded chicken and 2-bean stew for dinner and it did not disappoint!

When you cook every meal for everyone in the house (okay, that’s just my wife and daughter), slow-cookers are a life saver! This gives us meals for a few days. I think it even tastes better after everything has sat overnight to let the flavors marry.

The day ended with a few NuttZo topped NuttZo Banana Frittata wedges.

I enjoy eating them cold, but I’m sure warmed up would still be outstanding. It’s hot enough in Texas now, so cold food just sounds better.

Have you ever made your own pizza crust? Was is a fail or a win?

Do you make everything for your family? Tell me you love the slow-cooker too!

Just want to mention I love NuttZo and you MUST try it at least ~~once~~ forever! Plus, if you go to their website and enter code liley15, you can save 15% off your order. 😉

Food, Going Healthy, Life, Parenting

A Healthy Cayenne Dill Dip & The Next “Breaking Bad”

04/06/2015 R.C. Liley 2 Comments

Whether sweet or savory, I love having a good dip around. In the savory department, I make an easy and healthy cayenne dill dip that always satisfies my cravings.

Store bought dips and spreads are typically loaded with ingredients you need a dictionary (or Google) to figure out what they are, and they definitely are NOT found in the common kitchen. If more people would just read the ingredients list on things they buy, maybe it would act as a deterrent. Or maybe not, but who wants eat something full of chemicals made in a science lab?

Speaking of labs, I think Going Mom and I found our new “Breaking Bad”; “The Walking Dead”. We’ve heard all good things about it and one of my co-workers (when I worked) let me borrow the first season twice but we never watched a minute.

Ever since finishing the awesomeness that is Breaking Bad last year, we haven’t found a good replacement. We found and quickly went through the first and only season of The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt in just 2 weeks, and just watched the first season of The Walking Dead this weekend. Us = hooked.

But that poor horse at the end of the first episode! He was promised a safer place in Atlanta only to be eaten by zombies. That’s beyond a broken promise!

Just like our Breaking Bad experience, watching shows is difficult with a kid. Last year we had to hold Avery and dance around the living room or rock her in her swing as we subjected her to the show. At nighttime, the volume was so low you couldn’t chew snacks without missing what someone said.

Had to make sure Breaking Bad was paused for the pic!

Now that Avery is older, we only have nighttime to watch something, and with her resistance to sleep and Kelley falling asleep when nursing her most of the time, things are still difficult.

We are not TV-watching people; we pay $5/month for the basic of basic plans, and hardly, if ever, turn the TV on during the week. Since my wife is the worker bee in the family, I respect her need to sleep, so no Walking Dead marathons are in our future, but we’re gunning for at least one episode per night.

Hope this works out, cliff-hangers drive us crazy!

Anyway, I might talk more about what we see as we encounter Rick fighting his way through zombie land, but for now, how about a spicy recipe?

Hey, nothing like watching quality TV with a good dip and something to dip with, right? Use any raw veggie or even homemade beer bread to dip or spread this on and you’re set.

Healthy Cayenne Dill Dip

by RC Liley

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup Plain, Non-fat Greek yogurt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ½ T dill
1/2 T cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder (not the salt!)
Pinch of sea salt
Ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (I used the half empty cottage cheese container so I could just keep everything inside for no cleanup) and mix well. Let flavors marry in the fridge for at least 2 hours. After sitting overnight the flavors only get better.

If you’re wondering, we did exactly nothing for Easter. We usually go to see family like last year, but just kept it low key by staying home and listening to Avery talk to herself instead of take a nap.

Do you enjoy a good dip?

Would you rather have something sweet like this peanut butter pumpkin dip or savory like the above?

How was your Easter?

Food, Going Healthy, NuttZo, Soft Star Shoes, WIAW

The Frittata Recipe I Never Made + WIAW #6

04/01/2015 R.C. Liley 6 Comments

Isn’t it funny how something with a unique sounding name has most people thinking it’s something hard to make or requires time they don’t have? The frittata being one of them, is really just a crustless quiche. Oops, another uncommon name!

Okay, instead of quiche, how about an open-faced omelette? I mean, c’mon, an omelette you don’t have to try and fold over? Score! The frittata is just that, and it can be as elaborate or simple as you want with 12 different mix-ins, or just a single ingredient.

That’s what I love about them, their versatility. Everything you like on a pizza can be used in a frittata. And, just like pizzas can be savory as you usually see, frittatas can also become a sweet treat for late-night snacking or tasty breakfast. Or hell, why not both?

I have yet to do it, but think taking a ripe banana, slicing it into quarter-inch circles and using them for a sweet frittata with nut butter would be nothing short of spectacular! Plus, I see kids easily asking to have more after devouring what you thought was your breakfast.

Here’s my (not) tried and true recipe for a banana bliss frittata..

Ingredients

1 medium ripe banana, sliced into quarter-inch circles
1 tsp coconut oil
2 eggs
1 tbsp nut butter of choice; my go-to fav is NuttZo
Cinnamon to taste; I like A LOT
Optional: liquid or powder stevia or 1 tbsp honey for extra sweetness

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Whisk eggs with nut butter, cinnamon, and optional sweetener and set aside
Add coconut oil to skillet on med-high heat and tilt to coat
Saute banana slices for 2-3 minutes or until you see them caramelizing
Pour egg mixture over banana slices in skillet and let set, lifting the edges to allow egg on the top to run below.
After about 2 minutes, finish off by placing in the middle rack of your oven for 3 minutes.
Remove and let sit 10 minutes to cool and pull away from the sides.

Now, you either love me for the idea, or hate me for not actually creating this dish and taking pictures. Maybe both? I know, I’m sorry, and if you don’t do it soon, maybe I’ll have a real pic to share next week.

I do, however, have a savory frittata I recently made and can even share a pic or two. In the mix, I had a plethora of veggies including peas and carrots (ha ha, that’s for Jenn, the host of WIAW!), onions, green beans, swiss chard, corn, and canned diced tomatoes.

After sauteing everything and letting the excess liquid evaporate, I added 4 whisked eggs, let it sit, and then finished off in the oven. It was a hit for my mom, Avery’s G-Ma, and wife!

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If you’re wondering, the point of this post is simply to proclaim my love of frittatas. It has been waayyyyy too long since making them and hopefully the spell has been broken.

With that, let us move on to the main attraction, WIAW! Thanks to Jenn from Peas and Crayons, for creating this fun link-up for foodies everywhere!

The day started with my usual truckload of coffee. I picked up this cold brew at Trader Joe’s and it’s about the only thing I’m really liking from the place.

Then it was time for overnight oats with NuttZo and a smiling toddler!

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After working out, Avery and I tried my newest microwave omelette maker bread creations with NuttZo on top.

The verdict? They were all a hit with our little toddler as well as myself! Go me!

Lunch was spaghetti squash with grass-fed ground beef with lots of mushrooms and brussels sprouts. The picture sucks, the meal was wonderful!

Although I probably should have, I didn’t eat anything again until dinner. I was hungry, and that frittata hit the spot!

Do you love frittatas?

What other creations have an intimidating name that sound hard to make but are really simple?

Have you ever had a sweet frittata like the banana and nut butter one I mentioned?

Before I’m done, just want to mention I love NuttZo and you MUST try it at least ~~once~~ forever! Plus, if you go to their website and enter code liley15, you can save 15% off your order. 😉