The Great State of Vermont Will not Apologize for It's Cheese

Have you seen "Thank You for Smoking?"  If not, see it immediately.  This is *actually* how all Vermonters feel about our cheddar:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcvVhD5X3f0

Growing up in a dairy state like Vermont, there are few phrases in the English language that make my hair curl the way "reduced fat cheddar" does.  Runners up would probably be "processed cheese food" and "frozen dessert" in place of ice cream.  So when I set out to satisfy my ridiculous macaroni and cheese craving in a more healthy way, the cheese was non-negotiable.  The noodles on the other hand, are really just a vehicle to transport cheese sauce to my mouth. I don't know about you, but I am not in the business of wasting empty calories on bland vehicles. Pinterest swore to me substituting spaghetti squash was a brilliant idea, and shockingly (seriously. this sounded like an awful idea), they were right! I also substituted greek yogurt for the heavier milk and butter I usually use, and ultimately cut the calories down to about 263 per serving!  During baking the squash creates some liquid, rather than absorbing the way pasta does, so the sauce ends up thinner than the classic bechamel, but all in all this was freaking DELICIOUS.  Guilt free mac and cheese, I will probably be eating you weekly.

Guilt Free Macaroni and Cheese
Makes 5 Servings

1 large Spaghetti Squash
1 tbsp butter
1/2 Vidalia Onion
2 cloves Garlic, minced
8 oz Sharp (Vermont!) Cheddar, grated
1/4 C Water
1/2 C Plain Low Fat Greek Yogurt
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half (optional)
1 Cup peas (optional)
1/4 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 C Bread Crumbs
1/4 C Grated Parmesan
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Cayenne Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

1) Preheat oven to 425

2) Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Place squash (hollow side down) in a microwave safe dish with about 1cm of water in the bottom.

3) Microwave until tender (mine took about 11 minutes for each half).  Be sure the squash is *really* tender, it won't cook much more after this point and no one wants it crunchy.

4) When squash is cooked, use a fork to scrape out the flesh out of the inside - it should come out in strings that look just like spaghetti

5) In a heavy bottom sauce pan, saute the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp butter over medium heat until onions are translucent.  Add Cheddar and 1/4 C water, stirring constantly until the cheese is melted.

6) Add the greek yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper, and stir until incorporated.  Remove from heat. I have a weird dislike for onion chunks, and at this point I also used an immersion blender to make the sauce completely smooth.

7) Combine sauce with spaghetti squash (and tomatoes and peas if desired), transfer this to a large baking dish.  Combine bread crumbs with Parmesan cheese, and sprinkle all over the top of the pasta.

8) Bake for 30 minutes, or until topping becomes a golden brown, and serve!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcvVhD5X3f0


Per Serving: 263 Calories, 6g Protein, 2g Fat

Ratatouille

Hi Everyone!

Did you all just assume I died in the tough mudder? YE OF LITTLE FAITH!!! I'm so tough! Orange headband and all we crossed that finish line almost an hour faster than my boyfriend and his dad did last time.  I'm so proud of of my team, and I absolutely can't wait to do it again!

Here's the thing about grueling days of physical activity, post facto you eat....like a PIG.  You sit there and shove macaroni and cheese in your mouth like there's no tomorrow because you deserve it, and you 100% do not feel guilty.
Here's the thing about macaroni and cheese, the good stuff is approximately a bajillion calories a bite, and after all that face stuffing you realize....there is a tomorrow.  In that tomorrow, you're middle is.......soft.  Really soft.  And it's bikini season.

I came to this very sad realization about a week ago, and decided something must be done to protect all that hard working out I've been doing for the last three months. So what did I do? I made ratatouille.  Not only is it fun to say, the name of a charming cartoon mouse, and deliciously vegetables-gone-crazy, it's ridiculously easy to make. Eat it as a side dish, or toss it with pasta, either way it's scrum-diddley-umtpious.

And you can sound super fancy when you say it with a french accent.

Taco Seasoning

I don't know if you know this, but taco seasoning is the most versatile seasoning mix ever.  No really. Ever.  My mom makes shepherd's pie with it, I make fajitas with it, you can make meatloaf with it...pretty much anything with meat, taco seasoning will make better.

If you want to be lazy, you can buy it for about 99 cents a package at the grocery store, but then you have to deal with the "what IS natural flavoring" conversation in your head. 

Side Note: WHAT IS NATURAL FLAVORING????? $100 if someone can tell me. All I know is it's not natural, and I don't know what flavor it is, and therefore it freaks me out.

To just avoid that whole scenario, I like to keep a homemade version on hand.  The flavors are much richer, and I can genuinely take credit for every aspect of a dish when compliments oooobviously come rolling in about my seasoning abilities.

The Happy Onion

Onions are a pain in the butt.  Delicious, yes, but a pain in the butt.  You love them.  You WANT to put them in everything.  You WANT your house to smell like the delicious awesomeness they produce when they're sweating *ever so gently* on the stove......but.....they don't love you back.  Onions, just like Ryan Reynolds, will never love you back.  (Side note: I wonder if they love Blake Lively?)  They will sting your eyes, they will make you cry, they will make your life hell, and they will REFUSE to feel bad about it.  So what ON EARTH is a girl to do????

WHOA

Take a step away from the ski goggles, girlfriend. They're not the answer!!!

And take that bread out of your mouth you look stupid.

I have a secret, and the secret is called how to properly chop onions and not cry.  Ok, maybe it's not a secret.  It's pretty basic technique.  Whatever.

1) Begin with a VERY sharp knife.  Super duper sharp.  When onions cells break they release propanethiol S-oxide nasty gas that combines with your tears to form sulfuric acid, which makes your eyes sting and tear.  A sharper knife breaks fewer cells.  Baddabing baddaboom.

2) Cut the onion in half directly through the root so each resulting half, has root attached to it.  The root holds the onion together during the cutting process so everything stays neat and organized, and the gases stay in there.

3) Cut off the tip of the onion and use this edge to peel off the outer most layer of flaky onion skin so you're left with just the flesh.

4) Make 1 to 2 horizontal cuts into the onion, toward the root but being careful to stop before cutting through it.

5) Make vertical cuts into the onion, again, being careful not to cut the root.

6) Make horizontal cuts perpendicular to the last ones you made.

7) Throw away the root, and you have a perfect onion chop!