Liverpool Recap: Day One

Well, it’s a pretty lazy Sunday afternoon around here, so I thought I’d do another travel recap post!

During early November 2011, when I was studying abroad in England, my mom and I amazingly had the same exact week off of school and work. She had already bought her plane ticket to visit during that week (before we knew I had it off), so it was really amazing that it worked out so well.

If there is one thing my mom and I have in common, it is our love for the Beatles (especially Paul). So, naturally, we took a weekend trip to Liverpool! We left London by train on a Friday morning, and after a little over two hours, we had arrived!

We had booked a room in the Hard Day’s Night Hotel in downtown Liverpool, so we dropped our luggage off there before heading out to explore. Um, that hotel was ah-mazing. Even if you aren’t as big a Beatles freak as my mom and I are, it is definitely worth a stay (or a look, at the very least).

After a quick lunch, we headed down to Albert Dock (very cool!) where we went to The Beatles Story, a sort of tour of the Beatles’ lives and music.

  

In the Yellow Submarine

The whole tour took us a couple of hours, and by the time we were finished, it was dark, pouring rain, and we were hungry! After running back to the main streets (the rain was so hard it had soaked through my coat and my boots!) in search of food (and being rejected by many restaurants because we didn’t have reservations), we eventually decided on an authentic English restaurant: Pizza Hut. Just kidding!

On our way back to the hotel, we meandered through the streets – it had stopped pouring – just checking out the sights and sounds of Liverpool.

The tour was split between two buildings, and I took this photo in between, before it had gotten dark out.

Then lo and behold, we stumbled across THE CAVERN!

It was amazing in there – there was such an awesome energy (maybe it was just my imagination or adrenaline), and even two performers playing Beatles songs. The people were incredibly friendly, and it was just an all around good time.

We stayed for a couple of songs, and then went back to the hotel. We were exhausted!

Our first day in Liverpool was more amazing than I ever could have imagined. Stay tuned for a recap of day two!

The Best Granola

Hello all, and happy Friday! Happy Memorial Day weekend, too, to all of my American friends.

So last weekend I was searching for a good, healthy granola recipe. I found quite a few, but decided to combine them and add a few twists of my own. The result? Perfection! Eating this stuff is like eating cookies, according to my mom, and I have to agree with her. As an added bonus, it is free from some of the most popular allergies, including nuts and gluten, which are often found in store-bought granola. Plus, a serving is a 1/2 cup, so you’re not stuck with a tiny portion like you are with many other store-bought or homemade granolas. Other than just straight out of the container, my favorite way of eating it is on top of Greek yogurt with a sprinkling of dried fruit.

The Best Granola (E, N, D, GF)
makes about 4 1/2 cups
adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:
- 2 cups oats
- 1/2 cup puffed rice cereal (I used Rice Krispies)
- 2 tbsp. ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp. whole flaxseed
- 1/4 all-natural sweetener, such as Stevia
- 1/2 tsp. table salt (add more or less to taste)
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 heaping tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
- 1/8 cup honey
- 1/8 cup agave nectar
- 2 1/2 tbsp. sunflower seed butter (if you are tolerant, use any nut butter)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325*F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (oats through cinnamon). Set aside.
   
3. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine applesauce, honey, agave nectar, and sunflower seed butter. Microwave on high for about 60 seconds. Whisk them together, then stir in vanilla extract.
4. Add the wet mixture to the dry in batches (start with about 1/3 of the wet mixture, stir, add another 1/3, etc.). As noted on the original recipe, it does not look like there is enough moisture – don’t worry, just keep stirring!
5. Scoop the mixture onto the baking sheet, and bake for about 20 minutes, stirring once at the halfway point. Allow to cool completely before storing.
   
6. Enjoy!
   

Notes:
- The original recipe calls for chia seeds. We didn’t have any, so I just used whole flax seeds, instead.
- If you don’t have agave nectar, just use all honey. I was just experimenting when I used the agave!
- You could add dried fruit into the mix before you bake it; I’m not in favor of doing this, though, as I find it completely takes out any moisture left in the fruit and leaves it tacky and tough.

Nutrition:

I really hope you all try this recipe – it’s a keeper to be sure! As I mentioned in this post, it’s probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever made/eaten!

I hope you enjoy the rest of your day!

WIAW

I’ve decided to start something new on my blog – “What I Ate Wednesdays!“

Many of the bloggers that I follow do this every Wednesday, and I think it sounds fun. Not only that, but maybe it will help put me in the habit of keeping an eye on what and how much I eat! I initially started LLL in this way, but got a bit sidetracked by recipes, travel pictures, etc. (which are all fun too!), so maybe this will be a way to get back to that!

In addition to WIAW, I’ll include my workout schedule of the week. Just for kicks. Plus, I find that planning out my exercise schedule helps me stick to it more.

So, without much ado…

Breakfast

0% fat Greek yogurt, homemade granola (I will add this recipe soon – it’s probably one of my favorite things I’ve ever made!), and dried fruit.

Lunch

I wasn’t too hungry (I had breakfast around 11), so I just cooked up some green beans and a sweet potato. 

Snacks (over the course of the day)

I had a handful (x a billion) of these. They’re SOOOO good!!!

Their ingredient list is wonderful, too – tiny, natural, GF, and totally clean. AMAZING!

Dinner

Dinner was split into a few parts. I had half a slice of pizza (which I forgot to take a picture of) and a simple salad: mixed greens, cut up string cheese, chopped chicken, Craisins, and balsamic vinegar. On the side I had a whole bunch of watermelon. 

Dessert was an unfrosted 2-Ingredient cupcake. I made them using Devil’s Food Cake mix and Diet Dr. Pepper.

Annnnnd then dessert #2 was a “light” fudge bar. …..What? There’s nothing wrong with having dessert #2!

Workout Schedule: May 20-27

Sunday: rest
Monday: P90X – Core Synergistics
Tuesday: Elliptical Trainer – 45 minutes
Wednesday: Treadmill – 20 minutes jogging, 50 minutes total
Thursday: rest unexpected Zumba class! Woo!
Friday: P90X – Yoga
Saturday: Treadmill – 20+ minutes jogging, 60 minutes total

That’s all for now, folks! Have a great evening!  

P.S. Check out what Ella did to my bathroom – she got into the trash can and ripped every little thing that was in there. She’s lucky she’s so cute.

Doughnut Muffins – with variations!

Good morning! I hope your Tuesday is off to a great start!

I actually have a four hour break from babysitting today – the girls had a play date at a friend’s house, so I thought I’d take the time to do some homework share a recipe with you all!

I first made this recipe back in 2010, but I specifically remember loving it!

Doughnut Muffins (E, N, D?)
makes about 10-12 muffins

Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
- 1/3 cup canola oil
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp. ground flax seed dissolved in 3 tbsp. warm water, all to sit for 5 minutes)
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For variations:
- 2 tbsp. butter (or margarine) melted
- 3 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 

- 3 tbsp. jam (any flavor you want!)

Directions for Doughnut Muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 360*F. Line muffin tin with paper liners.
2. Mix all dry ingredients (first six ingredients) in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients (oil through vanilla extract). Be sure to make the flax egg before – do NOT add the flax seed and water as separate ingredients!
4. Pour wet ingredients into the dry until just blended. Do not overmix – a lumpy batter is ok! Overmixing will lead to dry and tough muffins.
5. Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling about 2/3 way full.
6. Bake for about 12-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Let them sit for 5 minutes in the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.

Variation:
Cinnamon-Sugar Doughnut Muffins

Directions:

1. Follow the above directions all the way through to the baking. 
2. While the muffins are baking, melt the 2 tbsp. butter (or margarine).
3. In a shallow plate, combine the 3 tbsp. of sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon. 
4. Once they are finished baking, allow the muffins to sit for a few minutes in the tin, until you can handle them (and are sure you won’t get burned!).
5. Remove the paper liners from each muffin, brush with the melted butter, and roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture (top, sides, and bottom) until everything is covered.
6. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Variation:
Jam Doughnut Muffins

Directions:

1. Follow the first set of directions (for the regular Doughnut Muffins) all the way through step 4.  
2. Instead of filling the muffin tin to the top, place a heaping tablespoon of batter into each liner.
3. Make a horizontal depression in the middle of the muffin, making sure NOT to go all the way to the bottom (otherwise the jam will run out instead of staying in the pocket you made). 
4. Fill the depression with jam (I would say about 1/2 tsp. per muffin) and cover with another heaping tablespoon of batter, or enough to make the batter come 2/3 the way up the tin.
5. Bake as stated above, for the same amount of time.
6. These muffins are especially good with the cinnamon-sugar coating!

Notes:
- If you don’t have buttermilk around your house, here is an easy alternative: in a glass measuring cup, pour 1 tbsp. white vinegar. Add enough milk to fill the measuring cup to the 1 cup line. Mix well, and use as needed (so, in this recipe, you’d only use 3/4 cup).
- This recipe might very well be made dairy-free by using margarine instead of butter. I’m not sure how well making “buttermilk” with the above alternative would work with soy, rice, or almond milk, but it’s worth a try. If anyone gives it a go, let me know!
-  I used strawberry and grape jams – the strawberry was my favorite, but I bet raspberry would be great, too.
- Let me know if you have any questions! I hope you enjoy them!  

Have a great day!

Neature Walk

Yesterday Dan and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary. Our initial plan was to go to the beach, but since neither of us wanted to drive that far, we decided on Frederick Meijer Gardens instead.

It was a gorgeous day – around 85* (Fahrenheit) and sunny, with a nice breeze.

Have you seen this Neature Walk video? While we were walking around yesterday, we kept saying “Hey, that’s pretty neat!” and “You can tell its a cactus by the way it is.”

You can see the homage to da Vinci’s horse sculpture in the background!

 

After Frederick Meijer Gardens, we went to East Grand Rapids to just walk around and hang out for a while. And to be honest, I really wanted a Starbucks from this cute little place:

I ordered a Double Chocolate Chip frappuccino like I always do, but they accidentally made me a mocha. Since I’m allergic to espresso, I had to take it back up to the counter. The girl felt really bad about it, and to make up for it, she made me what I ordered and gave me a card for a free drink – any size any day!

Like my new Gold Card?

After all of that, we went to Olive Garden, and came back to my house to enjoy a relaxing evening. Overall, a great day with a great guy.

I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday!

Irish Beef Stew

Here’s another winning recipe that I promised to you all a few weeks ago. It is a family (and friend) favorite – my brother asks for it quite often. One of the best things about it, too, is that it is even better the next day!

My recipe was adapted from one I found on the Simply Recipes website. The directions are pretty similar, but my ingredient list has a few changes.

Irish Beef Stew (E, N, D?)
(serves 6 to 8)
adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 pounds beef (chuck is best, though I’ve used other types, like angus), cut into 1-inch pieces
-  2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 cups low-sodium beef broth or stock
- 3 cups regular beef broth or stock
- 1 cup Guinness beer
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 tbsp. tomato paste
- 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp. dried rosemary
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 pounds red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium onion, chopped
-  2 1/2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Parsley, to garnish (optional)

Directions:

1.  Heat canola oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the beef for about 2 minutes, then using tongs, flip to brown the other side for another 2 minutes. Place browned meat in a bowl, and work on the next batch. (Note: the reason I work in batches is to prevent overcrowding the pot – if it is overcrowded, the beef won’t get that nice caramelly-brown color!)
   
2. Once you’ve browned all the meat, add the garlic, cook for a few seconds until fragrant (do not burn!), and add the meat back into the pot.
3. Add beef stocks, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves.
   
   
4. Stir, then bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to medium-low, the simmer, covered, for about one hour. Stir occasionally.
6. While the beef is simmering, chop your veggies.
   
7. Next, melt butter in a large skillet. Add the potatoes, carrots, and onion. Salt to taste.
8. Saute the vegetables until they are golden and just beginning to get golden, about 15-20 minutes.
   
9. Set aside until the beef has simmered for one hour. After an hour, add the veggies, and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. Occasionally check on the “done-ness” of the veggies – especially the potatoes, as you don’t want them to be mushy!
10. Once cooked, discard the bay leaves.
11. Ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with parsley, if using. Enjoy!

Notes:
- Sometimes in addition to the two minced garlic cloves, I will smash one, add it to the pot (step 2), and remove it. This way, the leftover oil is infused with garlic, too!
- I am in no way educated about gluten in beer, but if you wanted to make this recipe GF, you could use GF beer, or eliminate it out of the recipe all together. Just add 1 more cup of beef broth.
- If you open up a can of tomato paste but don’t use it all, the best way to store it is by dropping tablespoons into a plastic bag or ice cube tray, and freeze until needed! (That’s why my tomato paste looks so weird )
- You could make this recipe dairy-free by using margarine instead of butter. Double check the rest of the ingredients, too.
- The original recipe calls for peeled russet potatoes (which is what I used when I took these pictures), but I like the texture of red. I don’t peel them, either – the skin is thin as it is, and you get some added vitamins this way. I’ve made this using red potatoes, Yukon gold, and russet, and all work fine, it’s just that red potatoes are my favorite!
- I love to serve this with some toasted, buttered bread. Yum.

A huge thank you to Simple Recipes for bringing this recipe into my life!

Applesauce Muffins

Hey all!

I promised you all a recipe a couple of weeks ago, so here it is!:

Applesauce Muffins (E, N, D)
makes about 20 muffins
adapted from Betty Crocker’s Cookbook (ca. 1987)

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened/natural applesauce
- 1/2 cup water
- Egg replacer equivalent to 2 eggs, I used Ener-G
- 1 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F. Line muffin tins with paper liners, or grease and flour.
2. Combine flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.
   
3. Beat shortening and applesauce until well combined. Mix in sugar.
   
4. Add water and egg replacer.
5. In thirds, stir in flour mixture. Mix for about 2 minutes on medium-low speed.
6. Fold in raisins, if using.
   
7. Fill muffin tins about 2/3 way full, and bake for about 20-30 minutes (baking time truly depends on your oven).
8. When finished baking, allow muffins to sit in the pans for a few minutes, then transfer on to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Enjoy!

Notes:
- The original recipe says to beat all ingredients together for about 2 1/2 minutes. I’ve done it this way before too, but I like beating the wet and then the dry – it makes them fluffier.
- Raisins are optional (I know some people don’t like them), and the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup walnuts, so if you aren’t allergic, go ahead and add them!
- Again, I made a modification to Betty’s recipe: hers calls for 2 cups of sugar. Mine worked just fine with the amount I used – that much sugar is definitely not necessary. If you’re using sweetened applesauce, I would consider lowering the amount of sugar to 1 cup, even.
-  I’m not sure if a “flax egg” would work in this recipe – let me know if you try it!