A little of this, a little of that

As mentioned in the last post, Jeff and I are turning over a new leaf with our eating habits, especially before the wedding. What’s that really mean?

Negative = less eating out. Positive = more money in the bank. Negative = hard work finding innovative and healthy meals. Positive = shedding a few pounds!  Jeff has lost 10+ pounds since we started! And, I’ve lost a few. 

Since we are not as likely to eat out these days, my passion for food revolves a lot more around cooking it and other products from the grocery store. Here are a few of my favorite things …

1) Sabra Hummus …  It is the best hummus I’ve tasted because of the smooth texture and stronger flavors. The roasted red pepper is my favorite. While I think it has a little more fat and calories than other brands, the taste is worth it for me. I love it as a dip for raw vegetables. If anyone has something better or feedback on its nutritional facts, please share.

2) Breyers Pure Fruit Frozen Bars … They are juicy, and the pomegranate combo flavors very smooth and not too tart.

3) New meatless recipe: Mexican Pizza … It is very simple to make and most ingredients are ones you have on hand.

• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 T coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 C black beans (15 oz), rinsed and drained
• 1t ground cumin
• 1 prebaked pizza crust (16 oz) – I bought Boboli thin wheat crust
• 1/3 C salsa – I bought Jack’s brand, blackbean and corn salsa flavor
• 1 C shredded reduced-fat Monteerey Jack cheese (4 oz)
• 1/2 C shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
• 1 can sliced black olives (2.5 oz), drained
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/4 C chopped fresh chives

Preheat oven to 425 F. In a food processor or blender, combine the garlic and cilantro and pulse until chopped. Add the beans and cumin and process until pureed. (I had to add some taco sauce for a little juice in the blender.) Spread evenly over the pizza crust. Spread the salsa over the top. Scatter with the cheese, olives, pepper and chives. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

After baking, I topped it with lettuce and chopped tomato and drizzled taco sauce over each slice before serving. This one is a keeper!

4) Last weekend at our neighborhood party, the food was catered by Artisan Foods located in Roswell in the historic district. Owners Hoyt and Sauyri live in our neighborhood, and as always, the food was amazing!

5) My invitations for the wedding came in yesterday, and I picked them up at The Chandlery in Roswell. While the store is more of a boutique with unique gifts, their invitation department is simple the best because of a women named Suzanne Feeney. She has been doing wedding planning and invitations for years. She is to the point, and you want to listen to every word she says. And, she is more than willing to lend a hand. Exactly what you need when planning a wedding. I would recommend every bride to work with her, whether on invitations or the whole thing. Thank you, Suzanne, for your help!

6) Last thing, Jeff and I tasted the food for the wedding today. It was perfect. We are using Fabulous Creations. But, that’s an another blog post.

That’s it for this time around!