Spinach Dip

It's almost the New Year everyone. I can't believe it. My 2012 year has been quite eventful. Just to think, in a few days, it will be 2013. I guess the world didn't end on 12/21/12. That's a good thing.

Anyway, I know that many of you are probably going to attend some sort of New Year party or celebrate the New Year in some way. So, why  not make something that is delicious AND healthy to celebrate?

I know for a fact that chips is a staple at parties. They're almost always there. So, why not dip it in something like Spinach dip? It would go great with pita chips. It's also good with any other type of chips and bread as well. It's great for parties. My sister says that this Spinach dip I made is good, which is saying something. She doesn't say anything about the food I make unless it's either terrible or if it's good, as in, really good. I received this recipe from my uncle but I modified it a bit. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Nonfat Greek Yogurt (my uncle used sour cream but greek yogurt is a lot healthier)
• 1/2 mayo (I used Smart Balance Light)
• 1 1/2 cup cooked spinach, cooled
• 1/2 of a 1.4 oz packet of vegetable recipe mix

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix together the greek yogurt and mayo. 
2. Mix in the vegetable recipe mix and the spinach. 
3. Serve with chips, bread or with whatever you want. Enjoy. =)

I hope you guys enjoy this dip! It's delicious. 

So, as your probably know, I wrote a recent post in Spanish. What I basically said in that post is that from now on, I will have something called "Workout Wednesday" where I'll either talk about my workouts or share some fitness information I've learned. Also, I will write a post in Spanish every Saturday, since my friend said that I don't have any posts in Spanish (which is not true. I have some recipes that are totally in Spanish, like my alfajores and pan de muerto). 

Also, I've decided to to make meal plans for now on. It'll be hard but I know that it's easier to know what I will be eating and portion everything. It'll help with my weight loss goal too (it'll help with saving money too). I plan on losing 5 to 10 lbs. It's one of my New Year's resolution. I'll make a post about my New Year's Resolution later on.

I also went food shopping today with the family. Here's some things I got. 

Boca veggie burgers (around $9), craisins (I think around $9), hummus ($2.50), nonfat Greek yogurt ($4.99), Clif Bars (almost $19 for 24 bars, but limited flavors) and some other things that aren't listed. I also bought my regular multigrain rounds (4.99)  to make sandwiches with. I also plan on buying baby carrots to eat with the hummus and I plan on trying to make homemade almond butter with cocoa (a version of nutella).  I also have quinoa, oats and bought some sweet potatoes at the Asian store. I also found this at the Asian store: 

Shirataki

I can't believe I found shirataki at the Asian store! They are zero calorie noodles. I've cooked and eaten them before but it's been such a long time. They are a bit expensive though. It's like $1.70. 

Anyway, what are your plans for the New Year?

Do you make meal plans?

What's your most favorite food?

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Scones

I'm addicted to eating sweets, as you can see. I even made these whole wheat chocolate chip peanut butter oat scones earlier in the week. I love scones but I don't like all the butter and saturated fat that goes in it. 

So, I decided to make these. They are so healthy for and yet delicious. What's even better is that they are really low in sugar (compared to other scone recipes) and are really yummy. No raw eggs are used in it and you can eat the dough raw if you want to (I baked mines). They taste really good to. 

The secret to to making these scones soft and fluffy is the addition of greek yogurt. Yes. I used greek yogurt. Actually, it was nonfat greek yogurt. It's high in protein as well (most recipes use sour cream instead). These scones are actually quite big, aren't they? And, guess what. They are lower in calorie than other scones. I'm so happy about that. They also taste so good! I guess I'll give you guys the recipe first before I go off talking about other things. =) 

Servings: 11
Calories: ~230

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oats
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. 
2. In a small mixing bowl, sift together the flour, oats and baking powder. 
3. In another mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, greek yogurt, sugar and milk. 
4. Slow pour the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Combine.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips. 
6. Roll out the dough into a rectangle and cut into triangles. Arrange on a baking sheet. 
7. Bake for 20-22 minutes. 
8. Take out, let it cool and enjoy. =) 

 I hope you guys enjoy these scones! They are so healthy and delicious.

So, I have to do some elf4health recaps.

The elf4health challenge has been so much fun. I'm so sad that we only have one more week left. I'm really enjoying all these challenges. It's really making me more aware of my choices and my health.

Yesterday's challenge was yummy. We were to make a microwave mug cake. I used a bowl instead but I still made a single serving microwave cake. It's nearly fat free (except for the peanut butter I just had to add!) and I used whole wheat flour. It's not the prettiest cake but it was delicious. I will post the recipe later on.

During the week, I also finally made the spinach dip I was talking about last week. It was yummy! My sister even likes it, which is saying something. She doesn't say anything about the things I make unless it's terrible or if it's really good. So, the spinach dip was really good. Once again, I will post it later on. I'm sure you guys can wait. I probably will post the spinach dip recipe tomorrow since New Year's is coming up. I have a lot of recipes I want to share with you guys.

Another recipe I want to share with you guys is another mini donut recipe. However, this one is a regular recipe, not a healthy one. But, it was yummy. My sister wanted to eat some donuts, which is why I made them. It uses regular flour, not whole wheat. I also made a Vietnamese peanut butter dipping sauce to eat with egg rolls. I also have my mom's sweet potato and ginger soup recipe.  You guys will love the recipes I will post later on!

On the last note, I want to share this picture of the creek I walked by today on a walk with my family. It's so pretty.

So, do you guys like walking?
What are your favorite food that your parents make?

Me gustaría cambiar mi blog

Ayer, yo estaba hablando con mi amigo, Tyler. Me dijo que mi blog no tiene mucho publicaciones en español (y en otras idiomas).  Por eso, estoy escribiendo esta publicacion en español.

picture from holalondres.com

La verdad es que no quiero cambiar mi blog. Yo uso este título para llamar su atención. Pero, tengo que cambiar las temas que escribo.

Estoy pensando que cada sábado, mis publicaciones habrán escrito en Español. Es bueno para mi porque tengo que usar mi español. Para ustedes, será una cosa que va a odiar (porque no saben español) o disfrutar (porque hablan español y quieren practicarlo).

Tambien, voy a agregar una publicacion semanal llamado "Workout Wednesday" o "Entrenamiento miércoles". Hablaré de los exercicios que hago y otras cosas de fitness.

Mi amigo Tyler canta en una banda llamada "Revolt with Reason". Canta muy bien. Tiene una voz hermosa y increíble. Aquí está su página de la banda en facebook. Voy a escribir sobre de esta banda en una otra publicacion.

¿Cómo fue tu día?
¿Eres bilingüe (hablas 2 idiomas)?
¿Qué tipo de música te gusta escuchar?

3 Things

Stare in the mirror and name 3 things you love about yourself. I dare you to.

Image from allure.com

I know that it may be challenging for some. I know it is for me. I've had such a low self-esteem for as long as I can remember. I still do. I've always been the overweight girl, the girl with no friends. When I look in the mirror, I see a fat, unattractive girl who just wants to hide. I feel like I'm not important and have nothing to give to the world. 

However, I know I need to change how I view myself. I need to give myself a more positive image. Especially in today's society, it's really difficult for one to have a positive self image. Look at the celebrities out there. 

But today, I'm changing that. Today, I will look in the mirror and name 3 things that I love about myself. Today, I will have a more positive image of myself. I will change my self-esteem. 

I look in the mirror and here are the 3 things I love about myself: 

1. My Smile.  Everyone always compliments my smile whenever they see my pictures or see me laughing. This usually makes me feel better about myself. I have a nice, pretty smile. 
2. My love of baking. Baking is one of the things that I know that I can do without messing up badly. People usually love my baked goods. I bake for my friends and family. 
3. My love for nutrition/fitness. My love for nutrition and fitness has helped me become a  healthier person. I've lost weight due to it. The endorphins produced from running and exercising helps me feel better (you can call that runner's high). What's even better is that due to my healthy lifestyle changes through nutrition and fitness, I've gotten my family to live a healthier lifestyle. 

There are things that you love about yourself, even if it takes a while to find. I know it has taken me years. Yes, everyone is not perfect. We all have flaws. But, sometimes, it's those flaws that we have to embrace because it is what makes us who we are. 

So, I challenge you. 

What 3 things do you love about yourself? 

Merry Christmas + Coconut Macaroon Recipe + New Blog Layout

Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone's holiday is going well this year. I know mines have been so far. I love the holiday season (except for gaining the weight part).

As you see, my blog layout has completely changed. It's almost been a year since I changed it and I wanted something different, something that represents me. So, I changed it (and, it's a gift to my blog,  getting a new look). It's all pink! I actually like this new layout better than my old one. Any thoughts?

So, I made coconut macaroons today. It's to bring to my family potluck. I got the idea to make these because my dad brought some home the other day and I loved them. The thing is that they were dipped in chocolate instead of plain. I decided to look for a recipe and now, I made them. They're quite yummy too, better than the ones my dad brought home. Here's my recipe.

Servings: 29
Calories: ~80 calories

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup dark chocolate (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 
2. Using a mixer, whip the egg whites and vanilla for about 2 minutes until soft peaks form. Then, add in the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes until stiff peaks form. 
3. Fold in the coconut. 
4. Using an ice cream scoop, form mounds of batter onto a baking sheet. 
5. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, when it starts browning. 
6. Let it cool. 
7. While waiting for it to cool, you can melt the chocolate chips by microwaving them for about 80 seconds. Stir the chocolate with the spoon. If it needs to be melted more, microwave for another 10 seconds. 
8. Dip the cooled macaroons into the chocolate Wait for the chocolate to harden and then serve. 

 Let's talk about the Christmas and holiday season now. As you know, the holiday season means feasting and weight gain. It also means presents!

I hope I don't gain that much weight. I even went for a run this morning with my dad. It was a nice run. Hopefully, it helps prevent some weight gain. Good thing we ran earlier in the morning because it started raining a couple hours after.

After that, we opened presents with the family and boy, did I get a bundle.

I got yoga pants (XS, I'm surprised I fit them), 5 shirts (all small too, but I'm wearing 2 of them right now), boots,  and some other gifts that I received earlier and used already. The other two shirts I received are a black long-sleeve and a pink sweater cover-up. Here's a pic of me wearing it. It makes me look fat though (even though it's a small size!). I guess that's what sweaters are suppose to do or it's the style.

I've had a pretty good Christmas so far. I got to spend time with family, run with my dad and receive amazing gifts from the people I love.

So, how are your guy's holidays coming along?

How do you guys prevent holiday weight gain?

What gifts did you guys receive? 

Mini Whole Wheat Chocolate Donuts

Guess what I ate for breakfast today. Just guess.

What I ate is delicious and sinful. It's round, sweet and chocolaty.

You're right! It's a chocolate donut. I know, so surprising, right? I actually ate a donut. I haven't eaten a donut in such a long time. It's so unhealthy so I've been turning down offers on donuts.

Well, these donuts are healthier than other donuts and they still taste delicious! I used my new mini donut maker I bought yesterday, so, these aren't deep fried. I also used whole wheat flour to make these. My family loves them. I adapted the recipe from eatgood4life.


Servings: 37 mini donuts
Calories: ~50 calories

Ingredients:

Donut:

unpictured is the milk

• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup sugar (you can use 3/4 cup to 1 cup if you like sweeter)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 2 tablespoon nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoon fat free milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a few drops of food coloring

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and baking powder. 
2. Mix in the eggs, milk, greek yogurt and vanilla extract. 
3. Preheat your mini donut maker. Spray with nonstick spray.
4. Pour about a tablespoon of batter into each mini donut mold. 
5. Cover and wait until it cooks (follow the instructions to your donut maker). 
6. Repeat until all the batter is gone. 
7. To make the frosting, combine all the ingredients together. Then, dip the donuts in. 
8. Serve and enjoy. 

So, I went last minute gift shopping with  my parents yesterday and I say, I bought myself some gifts too. One of the things I bought is the donut maker. 

I also got a pancake griddle. 

I also got hello kitty earphones and a cute sweet cupcake bag. 

Of course, I got some Starbucks while shopping. Gingerbread Latte with soymilk, no whipped cream. 

So, that's may weekend. I had a lot of fun shopping with my parents. 

So, do you guys like donuts? If so, what's your favorite type? 

What's your favorite Starbucks drink?

汤圆 Tangyuan

冬至快乐!

 Hey everyone! Today is the first day of winter. Happy Dongzhi Festival. During this day, the family comes together and eats tangyuan (汤圆). It symbolizes reunion. 

Well, exactly is tangyuan? It is balls of glutinous rice flour. There are sweet kinds with fillings (such as red bean paste and sesame paste) with sugar water and there are savory ones made with a broth or soup (like the one I made with my mom, pictured above). 

This is a traditional recipe from which my mom brought here from China. She started making it since she was a little girl living in the villages in China. There are no exact measurements for the recipe but the ingredients and directions I tell you do matter. Enjoy. 

Savory Tangyuan (汤圆)

Ingredients:

• 1 bag glutinous rice flour (1 lb)
• water (to add to the flour unti it forms a dough)
• chinese sausage, sliced
• fish paste
• pork, cut into pieces
• cut up nappa cabbage
• shrimp
• daikon radish
• chicken broth (homemade or canned)

Directions:

1.  Cut up and slice the radish. Cook it with the cabbage. 
2. If you like fish cakes, pan fry the fish paste. If not, ignore this step. 
3. Add water to a wok and then add chicken broth until it's 3/4 full. Boil it. 
4. While you wait for it to boil, pour the bag of flour into a mixing bowl. Slowly mix in the water until a dough forms. The dough should be barely sticky. 
5. Take a section of dough and roll back and forth into long rolls, then pinch off a marble-sized dough and roll it between hands to form a ball. Once the water/broth mixture starts boiling, add in the rolled dough balls. Add in the shrimp, pork and sausage. If you didn't make a fish cake, then drop ball sized pieces of fish paste into the boiling water/broth.
6. Cover the wok until the balls expand. 
7. Then, add in the radish and cabbage. 
8. Enjoy. 

Now, here's the recipe for the sweet tangyuan.

 Sweet Tangyuan (汤圆)

Ingredients:

• water
• 2 sticks brown sugar pieces
• 1/2 bag glutinous rice flour (1/2 lb) 

Directions:

1.  Fill a small pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. 
2. While waiting for the water boil, make the dough from glutinous rice flour just like from the savory tangyuan recipe. 
3. Once the water boils, add in the brown sugar pieces. Once the sugar melts, add in the glutinous rice balls. Cover and cook for 1 minute. 
4. Turn off the heat. 
5. Serve. 

I love this simple sweet tangyuan because of the sugar soup. It tastes so good.


My uncle also made a spinach dip recipe and gave me the recipe. I'm going to make it healthier by substituting some of the ingredients. I'll post the recipe once I make it. I have tons of other recipes I want to post too but it will take time. I want to make hamantaschen, coconut macaroons (dipped in chocolate), russian tea cakes (butter balls, mexican wedding cakes) and a lot more things.

I also baked vegan brownies to bring to work. My co-workers like them. One even asked for the recipe. I'm so happy. I gladly gave her the recipe. I made regular ones and vegan ones. Here's the picture of my brownies:

Can you tell which ones are vegan and which ones are regular?

At work, I also ate this dark chocolate square with peppermint bark. It was delicious!

Anyway, more about my day. I went grocery shopping a lot the past couple days because of the holidays. I bought shredded coconut (to make macaroons, which I hope to make soon), chocolate chips. cocoa powder, powdered sugar, almonds, Skippy All-Natural Creamy Peanutbutter (yummy!), apple sauce (for the vegan brownies I made) and some other things too.

I also bought these:

Greek Yogurt, Van's Lite Waffles, Vegetable Mix, Cut Leafy Spinach and Steamable Asian Vegetables. The Greek Yogurt, spinach and and vegetable mix are some of the ingredients I'm going to use to make the spinach dip my uncle made. I also bought some Clif Bars, of course. I'm addicted to Clif Bars. Now, my new favorite Clif Bar flavor is the coconut chocolate kind. It's not white chocolate macadamia anymore or the chocolate almond fudge.

By the way, I also ate some Slow Churned Cookies N Cream Ice Cream with 2 mini chocolate chips. It looks cute, right? It kind of looks like Mickey Mouse.

So, now, it's raining on the first day of winter, the supposed dooms day. I'll see you next time.


What's your favorite dip?
        I love hummus! I also like guacamole, salsa, and the spinach dip.

How do you eat your waffles? With ice cream? Chocolate? Syrup? Peanut Butter? Strawberries and whipped cream? Blueberries?

Do you celebrate the first day of winter? If so, how?