extremely guilt-free pasta

These pasta noodles are life changing for those watching their carb intake.  I’m talking about “Tofu Shirataki Noodles” from House Foods.  Shirataki is made from the root of the Konnyaku (a member of the yam family) and tofu.  I recently decided that I’m going to change my eating habits after gaining some unwanted pounds and having these noodles on hand is a great way to quickly whip up a healthy figure friendly meal.  I first heard of them through dieting guru “Hungry Girl” on a talk-show appearance last year.  Check out her website www.hungrygirl.com, it’s full of awesome tips and recipes for dieters. I searched everywhere for these but realized they were only available in the US, until I stumbled across them in the tofu section at Whole Foods just recently. 

Last night I decided that I felt like pesto, without the guilt, so I cut open my Shirataki package and to my surprise, the smell was quite strong and stinky!  There is a warning on the package in regards to the smell, but don’t worry the manufacturer suggests you rinse them and boil them to rid them of their odour and trust me after those simple steps the smell was completely gone.  The suggestion is to also dry them thoroughly, make sure you do this as it’s the most important step in the process for a perfect noodle.  My pesto pasta was delicious,  I’m sure it was due to the actual pesto and the parmeggiano cheese but the noodles had a pretty good texture and they seemed to really soak up the flavours.  I really enjoyed my meal and best of all I didn’t feel bloated at all and didn’t have that heavy just ate pasta feeling.  These noodles are also great in thick sauces and I can’t wait to use them in an Asian stir-fry.

Here’s the best part:

They are low carb, only 3g of carbs per serving, that’s right 3 CARBS!!!

Low calorie, an unbelievable 20 calories for a 4oz serving.

No cholesterol

No Sugar

Gluten-free

Dairy-free

Contains 10% Calcium

Vegan

GUILT-FREE!!!



holy crap, this doesn't taste like crap!

While watching a repeat of "The Dragon's Den" the other night (love that show and inspire to be on it one day with the next new thing haha I wish I could come up with something that hasn't been done yet), I was intrigued to try this breakfast cereal made here in the Sunshine Coast called "Holy Crap".  Dragon, Jim Treliving of Boston Pizza just loved the product and invested in it without hesitation at full asking. 

This stuff really doesn't taste like crap at all.   I mean it's not outstanding in taste but still quite enjoyable.  I really love the texture and the health benefits seem extraordinary.  You definitely need to let it sit for a little bit before eating so that it can expand and soften up.  I found "Holy Crap" at Granville Island the other day, with a $12 price tag for a small bag probably 10-12 days worth of product, "Holy Crap" - this stuff isn't cheap when it comes to breakfast cereal.  But if the health benefits are as great as they claim to be then "Holy Crap" - it's worth it!!

The simple ingredients include:  Organic Chia, hulled hemp hearts, organic buckwheat, organic cranberries, organic raisins, apple bits, organic cinnamon.  Here's the skinny according to http://www.holycrap.ca/
"Super packed with Omega 3's and 6's, protein, calcium, iron, zinc, fibre and antioxidants".  "Chia is the world's healthiest whole food".  "Chia has more Omega 3's than fish oil flaxseed or marine algae".

Try it out!



tastiest butter chicken to ever come out of a jar

If you feel like Indian without going to a restaurant or slaving away at the stove I highly recommend "Amaya Butter Chicken Sauce".  I came across this gem in a jar at Whole Foods and I'm sure it's sold at other natural grocers as well.  It's a natural product with no preservatives, no artificial colors, flavours or fillers and it tastes absolutely delicious!  Apparently there is an Indian restaurant in Toronto called "Amaya The Indian Room" and this is their bottled sauce.  They carry a small line of products, the butter chicken sauce, a coconut curry sauce (which I wasn't a huge fan of), an Indian spicy ketchup and a mango mint chutney (which I haven't tried yet).  You can get more information on their sauces at http://www.amayagourmet.com/.

It's so convenient and makes for a super quick dinner as all you need to do is satay your chicken pieces then add the sauce and simmer for about 10 minutes or according to the instructions on the jar.  You could also add some heavy cream and fresh cilantro towards the end if you like.  I just paired up my meal with some yummy store bought Naan bread and made my girlfriends easy Raita recipe which I'm including.  If you're ever in Toronto, Amaya The Indian Room is located at 1701 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, ON.  I have never been but if you have, tell me if it's any good.  My husband is Indian and he loved this butter chicken so trust me, it's good!!!

Raita Recipe:

2 cups Greek Yogurt
1 Shredded Cucumber (drained)
1/2 Shredded Carrot (smaller shreds)
1 tsp Cumin
3 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp fresh mint (chopped)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Sugar or honey (just a very tiny pinch)

Just mix it all up and refrigerate for at least 30 min.

The tasty sauce

Delicious and super easy meal

angela’s best of Trader Joes list, it’s finally here!

Trader Joes is my favourite place to cross border shop right now for delicious natural and preservative free groceries.  I decided to compile a list of my favourite products at TJs for you to sample for yourself.   Here are my recommendations if you make it down there.  Trader Joes is located at 2410 James Street, Bellingham Washington in the U.S.A.  Happy shopping and eating!

Best of Tasty Spreads for your breads:

Lemon Curd.  It's great stuff if you're into lemony tartness
Sunflower Seed Butter.  I don't like it but my daughter loves it so I’m posting on Sophia's behalf.

Artichoke Antipasto Spread.  LOVE IT!  This would go soo nicely in an Italian style sandwich

Bruschetta.  LOVE IT!

Best of CHOCOLATE goodness:

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups in Dark and Milk Chocolate.  "Winning"!

Milk Chocolate Malted Milk Eggs.  Delicious.

Best of Salty Sensations:

Roasted Seaweed Snack.  I’m addicted!

Lightly Salted Crunchy Green Beans.  OMG!

Best of Pickled or Jarred

Marinated Mushrooms With Garlic.  Yes, I drank the juice!

Best of From the Freezer to the Table:

Mandarin Orange Chicken.  Who needs Chinese takeout when you got this stuff.  This is outstanding!

Chicken Gyoza.  These were fantastic! Better than restaurant gyoza. 

Best Breakfast Bet

Danish Pancake Balls.  Delicious pancakes without the mess that goes along with making pancakes.

Best finds for $2.99

Regenerating Antioxidant Moisturizing Face Lotion.  Wow this stuff is dirt cheap and makes my skin feel like a million bucks! All my dryness due to weather was gone in days.

Nourish Spa Shampoo and Conditioner.  This stuff makes my hair feel like I’ve just stepped out of a salon, seriously comparable to salon quality.  All my tangles were gone and i loved the consistency of this stuff, you get a nice soft lather and a creamy condition.  Your hair will feel soft and not "weighed down". Seriously $2.99 for a good shampoo is unheard of here in Vancouver.

I still have many more items to try, these are the ones that definitely stand out and that I will purchase again regularly or stockpile, my new staples.  What are your favourites? Please share.



decorating your home with food...some tips

An inexpensive way to decorate, set a mood or stage your home rather than buy too many nick-knacks that will eventually be dated and go out of style, is to use food.  That's right, food!  Also, you don't need to worry about storing it when you want to change your decor, because once your done with your temporary displays you can just eat them ha ha!  Change them up every so often and definitely before they perish.  Use nice classic bowls, vases, trays and even cake stands that you can re-use in your scenes.  These small vignettes create a mood and portray a lifestyle.  They work for home staging, if your having guests over, or for yourself to enjoy and it beats looking at toasters and blenders, put those away in your cupboards.  Here are some examples of what I did in our home before an open house.  A tip, grab a cookbook with pictures, open it to your favorite simple recipe and grab a few of those non-perishable ingredients and place them on a tray.  Try to go with a recipe that requires pretty vegetables or fruits and go with a grouping of those in your display.  Hope I gave you some cool ideas to try at home.

in the kitchen, I set a scene for prepping an artichoke dish.  just put out a few ingredients on a tray along with some roasted Gorgonzola crackers from Trader Joes.  I thought the packaging was pretty.

the counter with a few different vignettes

on the opposite counter I set up 3 tall glass water bottles and a bunch of lemons, tip...the more fruits or veggies you use, the better your display, the look you want to go for is "abundance"

Cookbooks are great for kitchen displays, took off the cover of the Wolfgang Puck cookbook and discovered this pretty yellow hardcover.  Found this inexpensive cake stand at Target and these pretty meringues at Trader Joes...stacked some small plates and you've got a display.  Notice the triangle shape from the top of the book to the 2 items in front...a good design tip...

Wanted to make this upstairs little media room fun so I went with purple as the accent color.  Notice the pretty pink striped bag of Trader Joes Kettle corn.  Purple Hersheys kisses and a 4 pack of purple beers.. perfect for a movie night...snuggle up with your honey with that cozy lavender throw, you've got your popcorn, candy, beverages... see I just set a scene for you.

Purple pillow Homsense find.. LOVE LOVE LOVE Homesense

Chocolate Beer!!! Can't wait to crack one open after the viewings are all done and our home is sold.  Bought these puppies at Trader Joes (my favorite Grocery store of all time)

I even decorated INSIDE the cupboards... hey people looking at homes open your cupboards...this is my husbands stash of his favorite chocolate from TJ's

Set a little scene on the patio with some lemonade and outdoor pitcher and goblets added some lemons for some color pop-age



spotlight on a very talented artist...shelley a.

For the past few weeks we've been very busy staging our home to sell.  Our white walls needed more art, so I contacted a lovely young artist by the name of Shelley Ainsworth that I heard of through a friend.  She is an amazing make-up artist and portrait artist.  Her work is incredible, please check out her website http://www.artistrybyshell.com/.  The portrait work she has done is so detailed and precise that you'd think it's a photograph rather than a painting.  I needed some modern abstract art, described what I was looking for, what colors I required for the space and she delivered.  It was great working with Shelley, such a great upbeat personality and a perfectionist.  We chatted back and forth during the process, she was so open to suggestions.  I'm loving our new paintings and looking forward to getting some portrait work done with her in the future.  Thanks Shelley!  You're awesome!

my absolute favorite piece

i love the colors...this is the second in the series of 2

love the yellow!!



cake bites...an idea for easter

This morning while at Starbucks, I came accross these adorable little munchkin size cake bites on a stick.  Gave me an idea for Easter, make these little cake balls and decorate them to look like little mini Easter eggs.  So I got on google and searched these little suckers and came up with an abundance of recipes.  My favorite results and not to mention most gorgeous blog was http://www.bakerella.com/. 

Here's a recipe for cake bites from Bakerella.  You can use any cake mix and frosting you desire.  Check out the site as they have many many recipes and instructions to make all sorts of yummy festive balls.

Cake Balls

1 box red velvet cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
1 can cream cheese frosting (16 oz.)
1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate) or you can use those colored chocolate melts
wax paper

Directions

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can cream cheese frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned it will get messy.)
3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 45-50. You can get even more if you use a mini ice cream scooper, but I like to hand roll them.)
4. Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)
5. Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.
6. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)