Author Archives: Joanna

About Joanna

Nerdy, Short, Loud, Anti-Lactose Also I run sometimes

Homemade Cheez-Its

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This post is dedicated to my dear friend @Harmonyjoyyy. A friend in real life and in the twitterverse, she is one of those people I love following because she gets you through the “each minute feels like an hour” days. One of the things I’ve come to know about @Harmonyjoyyy is the girl. loves. cheez-its. =) Since giving up all snacks involving cheese, I had kinda forgot about them until I watched her pledge her allegiance and undying love. Maybe I was missing something here.

As I do each time I feel my allergy is making me miss out on awesomeness, I started googling homemade recipes until I found one with a decent picture. Success!

These crackers were everything I thought I was missing and more. They were salty and cheesy with just the right amount of crunch. Since this past weekend was @Harmonyjoyyy’s birthday and she was the inspiration, I made her some too! (with real cheese and butter =) H and L got a stash for being my taste testers, and all the crackers were gone within a day. Talk about addicting.
Yields about 7 dozen crackers.

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. bag Dayia Cheddar Style Shreds
  • 3 TB Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
  • 1 TB shortening, softened
  • 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt, plus some for sprinkling ( I cut the salt in half from the original recipe because Earth Balance is salted… I think)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 TB cold water

The first thing I noticed about the recipe was that it called for grated cheese. I’ve yet to find Dayia in block form in my area so I put a whole bag of shreds in a food processor and pulsed until the cheese was very fine.
Next combine the cheese, softened butter and shortening, and salt in a standing mixer until completely integrated. Mix in the flour, and then slowly add the water. The dough will be dry so you want to add enough water for it to come together, but you don’t want it to be too wet. Separate the dough into 2 discs, cover and refrigerate for roughly 30 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 375. Roll out dough on a silicone mat (or parchment paper) to 1/8 inch thick. Using a pastry wheel or whatever you have really, cut the dough into uniform squares. I tried to make mine about an inch like you would get out of the box. Size isn’t as important as much as the uniform part is! Otherwise some crackers will cook faster than others (learned the hard way!) In the center of each square poke a small hole using a toothpick. Sprinkle any additional salt.

Transfer the squares to a greased baking sheet and bake 15 minutes or until the edges are the slightest brown. I poked the center of a few crackers to make sure they weren’t too puffy. Some of the puff will harden as the crackers cool.
Yum!
Here’s a swiss-gruyere version.
And a sharp cheddar!

Watermelon Banana Smoothie

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40 days of yoga.

For years I’ve wanted to participate in this program at Baron Baptiste, but I’ve always had some half marathon or triathlon or other crazy athletic adventure that got in the way. No way could I spend 40 days doing yoga… I have to run, swim, bike, jump, lift, etc., etc., excuse, excuse. Then this fall as I went to sign up for my next race I realized that every half in my area was sold out.

Took another look at the 40 days program. “Well it’s kind of expensive” I told myself. “Yea but so are tri’s and half’s and now you’re not doing that.” Valid point other half of my brain. What sealed the deal for me was that my favorite teacher was leading the 40 days. I often go through the motions when I go to yoga, listening, but not really retaining much. But when this one teacher speaks… I actually hear her. What she’s saying makes sense and I can apply her words of wisdom to my life. Revolutionary for someone who goes to yoga mainly cause it kicks my butt.

Part of 40 days along with the daily yoga and meditation, comes a 3 day fruit fast/cleanse half way though. As a runner I fundamentally opposed this at first. “But I NEED my carbs!” I thought. “True, but you’re not running right now… you’re doing yoga” said the other half. Also, I can do anything for 3 days. It’s just 3 days. Right?
Adapted from Kimberly Snyder.
Serves 3.

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups chopped watermelon
  • 3 bananas
  • 2 cups coconut water
  • handful of raspberries

Place the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely combined.

I substituted coconut water because milk of any kind isn’t allowed in the cleanse. But I’ve made this before with almond milk and it rocked!

Sonoma Chicken Salad on Focaccia

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Swim team season has started for me once again. After work a few days a week, and one day over the weekend I help coach some of Arlington’s finest swimmers at the Boys & Girls Club. The start of swim team is exciting. It marks the return of old friends you haven’t seen all summer, the return of smelling like chlorine all the time, and the return of outdoor adventures with the head coach Mr. D!

A couple Sunday’s ago Mr. D invited a bunch of us to go on a hike up Tully Mountain. The description of the day was “Meet at 10am. Pack a lunch. Home by dinner.” He’s a man of few words, but that’s what makes his trips exciting. You never know what’s going to happen haha.

Since it had been kinda cool out, I decided to go with a chicken salad sandwich figuring it would be pretty safe. Of course after I bought all the ingredients and made it, the temp skyrocketed to the mid-80s. Cautiously I threw in a few ice packs and that seemed to do the job =). I loved the flavor of the rotisserie chicken and the crunch of the pecans and celery. Sometimes I find chicken salad a little boring, but definitely not this one!
Modified from Whole Foods.
Serves 6.

Ingredients:
Dressing:

Salad:

  • 1 rotisserie chicken
  • 3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted
  • 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved
  • 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • Loaf Focaccia
  • 5 oz. bag baby arugula
Pull all of the usable meat of the rotisserie chicken. Every time I do this I hate the process, but flavor of the chicken is totally worth it. Add chicken, pecan pieces, grapes, and celery in a large bowl.
In a separate small bowl, mix together mayo, yogurt, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Using yogurt in chicken salad is an idea I borrowed from my Grandmaman to cut down on fat and sodium. She goes all in with the yogurt but I still wanted a little bit of the mayo taste. Pour dressing into chicken and stir until well mixed.
Slice focaccia and put together with chicken salad and arugula.
View from the top of the mountain!

Fall Almond Cookies

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Annnd I’m back after unannounced summer break. Have you ever just wanted to cut out all distractions and soak up the last bits of summer, and then your computer dies, and then your camera dies, and then your computer dies again? That happens to people right =).

These cookies remind me of running cross country in the fall and sitting in the back of the bus going to away meets. See, H and I would always make cookies for the team when we were traveling. We’d meet at her house the afternoon before the big day, after an easy or no practice and bake up a storm. One time while gathering all of the ingredients she took out the almond extract instead of vanilla. I was shocked and a little taken back.
me: “Almond instead of vanilla?”
H: “Yup, my mom and I do this sometimes for a different flavor. It’s nice trust me.”
me: “But that’s not what the directions say.”
H: “Haha, you don’t always have to follow the directions word for word Jo.”
A wise one that H.
Adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TB almond milk
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • 1 TB almond milk

In a large bowl or standing mixer beat butter, sugar, and baking powder until fluffy. Add in the egg, almond milk, and almond extract and beat until well combined. Beat in as much flour as you can. (At this point I started a raise an eyebrow… as much as I could? What about the rest?) The original recipe said after you couldn’t beat anymore, to just stir the rest in. The dough was looking a little dry so I added a little more milk and continued to use my mixer haha. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375. Divide the dough in half so you can work in batches. Sprinkle a large cutting board with a little bit of flour. Take the first half of the dough leaving the second in the fridge, roll out the dough until it’s about 1/8 in thick. Using your favorite fall cookie cutters cut the dough in shapes! Carefully place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 7-8 minutes. Place the unused dough back in the fridge and repeat with the second half.

When cookies are done transfer to a wire sheet and let cool. Perfect time for the icing. In a bowl whisk together powdered sugar, almond extract, and the almond milk. Once the cookies have cooled completely, brush with icing and sprinkle festively!

Mini Bacon and Asparagus Quiches

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Processed food is a funny thing. Crescent Rolls. Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts. Duncan Hines Classic Vanilla Frosting. All things you’d think I’d be allergic to but contain 0% dairy. Praise the food Gods.

The crescent rolls come in particularly handy when making mini quiches. Pie crusts are usually safe as well, but why cut something into 12 pieces when it’s already been done for you? I’d been craving quiche lately after seeing L make one. I took some inspiration from the “I LOVE BACON!” book’s Bacon, Asparagus, and Gruyere Quiche. The bacon book’s recipe used a lot of heavy cream and whole milk though. While I can find those soy substitutes, I was looking for something lighter and found a little inspiration from Eatingwell.com too!
Yields 12 mini quiches.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cans crescent rolls
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 cup almond milk + 1 TB lemon juice (substitute buttermilk!)
  • 8 slices turkey bacon
  • 6 asparagus spears cooked (I used frozen and thawed… you know… lazy), chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups daiya cheddar style shreds
  • celtic sea salt and pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease a muffin pan liberally with cooking spray. Line muffin cups with crescent rolls, cutting dough to fill in holes when necessary.
On medium heat, fry up bacon in a large skillet. Crumble or chop bacon into bite-sized pieces.
Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle bacon, asparagus, and cheese into individual cups. Divide the egg mixture evenly among the cups.
Bake mini quiches until the tops are light brown about 25 minutes.
Hopefully the quiches won’t stick too much, use a knife to loosen if needed.
Savor bacon, cheesy, buttery goodness with a little less guilt =).

Sunday Brunch at Garden at the Cellar

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Last Sunday was unfortunately very much like this one. Rain =(. In an effort to still venture out of the house, the girls and I decided to try out a new brunch place. The spots in our neighborhood are good, but who doesn’t like changing it up a bit?

We started off with a round of mimosas…
L and I each got the The Egg Sandwich - skillet eggs, bacon, avocado, cheddar(someone got cheese, someone didn’t…), rosemary truffle fries. Truffle oil on fries is always a win in my opinion! They were melt in your mouth good with the perfect amount of rosemary. The breakfast sandwich was definitely one of the best I’ve ever had. It was a good size (small egg sandwiches are such a bummer) the eggs were soft but not too runny, and it was really well paired with the avocado and aioli that was on it too!
As if that wasn’t enough food, I asked for a side of Corned Beef Hash because I was curious what type it was, big pieces or minced pieces. It’s not listed as a side on the menu, but the waitress was happy to oblige =). While I prefer a messy minced hash, just looking at this dish again is making my mouth water. Mmmm salty goodness.

Garden at the Cellar was uh-mazing. It far exceeded my expectations and definitely made it’s way into my brunch rotation. The perfect way to start Sunday Funday.

Zucchini SoCo Cream Pies

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Last night, August 8th, was “Sneak some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Night!” Strangest national holiday ever. I know you all participated. Much to L’s disappointment our neighbor’s did not haha. Must not be an abundance in the city. But that didn’t stop me from sharing the wealth! I whipped up these babies for my friends at work and they were D·E·L·I·C·I·O·U·S. Like an oatmeal cream pie crossed with zucchini bread and dipped in a little Southern Comfort =)
Adapted from marthastewart.com.

Ingredients:
Cookie:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
  • 1 1/2 Earth Balance buttery sticks, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup light-brown sugar, packed
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup zucchini, finely grated
  • 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Frosting: 

  • 8 ounces Better Than Cream Cheese, room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp Southern Comfort or other liqueur

In a medium bowl, mix flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate large bowl (or standing mixer) cream together 1 stick of butter and both of the sugars until fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla mixing well to combine. Stir in zucchini, oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate dough for about 1 hr.

Pre-heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a large cookie scoop (about 2 TB) spoon out dough 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until the edges turn a crisp golden brown, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely.

For the frosting beat the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and liqueur together until fluffy. Martha only used 1 cup of sugar, but I wanted my frosting a bit thicker so I added some more. After that it still wasn’t thick enough so I refrigerated it over night.

When the cookies are cool, and the frosting is thick and ready spread heaping amounts onto the flat side of a cookies. Sandwich together with another cookie. Eat and repeat!

Lobster Rolls with Lemon Oil and Garlic Butter

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To say that I love lobster would be an understatement. I am a New England girl after all ;-) . I once stayed in a relationship that was very much over a couple weeks too long because my boyfriend at the time bought me a lobster dinner for my birthday. Part of me felt guilty, but part of me was like “Maybe he’s not that bad… because… you know… LOBSTER!”. Sad, but true. Are lobster goggles a thing yet? If not, I’m coining it.

When the dairy allergy hit (yup I’m discussing it like a natural disaster) my options to eat lobster in a restaurant became very limited. In my opinion, the best way to enjoy it is definitely steamed with a big vat of melted butter. However my chances of finding a place that substitutes with Earth Balance are not very high haha.

Also, I’m not sure if you’ve ever cooked lobster at home, but it’s a little intense and tends to stink up your whole house. Whenever we did growing up, we’d steam them outside… big pot on the grill… at my grandparents house.
(me and d$… so happy… I couldn’t wait)(look at that pout haha… I just want my lobster Uncle Brian!)

I wasn’t looking for a big production, and since L’s slightly afraid of my favorite crustacean, I decided to buy some cooked meat and go the lobster roll route. No muss, no fuss, and no lobster feelers staring down L when she opens the refrigerator :-) .

I found this really cool mom and pop type store Alive & Kicking Lobsters down the street from me. I ended up buying by the pound, and while it was pricier than my normal meals I got a decent size tail + claws for about $7.50. Not bad at all. Actually it could be terrible and I have no idea since this was my first time buying lobster meat, but I already had those lobster goggles on!

I knew right away I wanted to go butter style and not mayo since that’s what I am really missing!
Modified from Gourmet.com
Serves 6.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lb. fresh lobster meat
  • 1/3 cup fresh chives, snipped
  • 1/3 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 3 TB lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 Earth Balance buttery stick
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 whole wheat hot dog buns

Lay out all of your lobster on a cutting board and revel in all it’s beauty. Took a LOT of will power to not just eat it right there.
Chop lobster up into bite-size pieces, and place in a medium size bowl. Add in chives, celery, and parsley.

In a small bowl whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Add in 1 TB  at a time to the lobster mixture and stir until evenly coated. I say that because I’ve been making these one day at a time and using 1 TB per serving. You could just dump it all in. Seemed like a lot of oil to me though.

Toast hot dog buns in toaster oven for 1-2 minutes. I placed mine upside down using the lines of the grill to hold the inside open. In a separate small microwavable bowl, place the butter with the garlic and melt for 45 seconds. Brush the inside of the bun with the butter mixture.

Stuff the hot dog buns with lobster mixture. They should hopefully be over-flowing. Maybe serve with some Summer Ale Fries. Try to fight off the effects from the lobster goggles, but I totally understand if you can’t :-) .