Lunch at Delaney's

It was a nice day, not too hot, mid July in So Cal and we spent the afternoon in Old Town Temecula.  After picking up some cinnamon (naturally flavored) kettle corn and some artichoke garlic spread, we decided it was time for lunch so we headed to Delaney’s. Matter of fact, Jordan, owner of Delaney's daughter made the spread and was selling at the Farmer's Market. (I later made baked tilapia with it that my son gobbled up!)

Sorry pic is dark.

I ordered a lemon-poppy seed muffin for my son and he and I split a vegetable panini. I took a picture of it after we had eaten most of the potato salad (it was delish) and a corner was gone from the sandwich. I asked Jordan to sell the potato salad as a side. I hope she considers it!

We ate half of the panini and took home the rest. The cost for both was $11.

Lunchtime and toys to keep son busy while we waited. =)

  I enjoy supporting local businesses. =)

Recipe: Banana Bread

So I was searching the internet scouring banana bread recipes. I’ve made some in the past that just came out far too dry. I always make my bread recipes in mini loaf pans to ensure even cooking in the oven.

I found a recipe on All Recipes dot com that had 4.5 out of 5 stars but the first several reviewers’ comments led me to think this could be a winner. I was right!

I waited for the bananas to get nice and over ripened. I let the Smart Balance butter soften slightly and creamed the brown sugar with it for 5 minutes. I think this was key. The recipe called for regular flour but I don’t use white flour anymore. I like stone ground whole wheat flour by Bob’s Red Mill.

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup butter slightly softened

¾ cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

4-5 medium sized bananas, over ripened (2 1/3 cups)

Pam non-stick spray, I use organic olive oil Pam

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl or with hand mixer, cream together softened butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly. Add bananas and stir thoroughly. Batter will be somewhat watery looking. This is a good thing. If it’s not, you probably didn’t use enough bananas. At last, fold in flour mixture until just moistened.

Spray 4 mini loaf pans with Pam and pour batter evenly into all pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until nice brown color and toothpick comes out clean. You want it to be somewhat spongy on top. Do not over bake. Bread will have pockets of banana throughout.

Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Continue to cool for 10 minutes then wrap in foil and store in air tight container.

Slice and serve warm, if desired.

Buon Appetito!

My Personal Quotes

These quotes are being added to my blog to ensure copyrighting protection. They are my words. 



"[Good] nutrition is the foundation for which your health is found [based]". ~ Jessica A. David 


“Time and money can be two hindrances to fulfilling your goal(s); however, once you become knowledgeable, you begin to shift priorities creating value in your complete health.” ~ Jessica A. David

"Do not mistaken my open-mindedness as a compromise in faith. Won't happen. Nothing and no one can change my heart from Jesus." ~ Jessica A. David

"When people seem out of funk and things just don't make sense... I remember whose I am and what this world offers doesn't always line up with what God wants for me." ~ Jessica A. David

"Reach for the stars and if you miss, you'll still land upon the greatest of mountain tops." 

~ Jessica A. David

"Choose, eat, and live well! ~ Jessica A. David

Recipe: "Cake Bread" - Zucchini Bread

Recipe for Zucchini Bread

I use 3 mini loaf pans because the “cake-bread” cooks better and leaves the edges a little crisp and the middle nice and moist. I’ve tried the regular size and it didn’t cook evenly.

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups of flour (I use whole wheat)

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp nutmeg

1 cup shredded unpeeled zucchini (I typically add more)

1 cup sugar

¼ cup oil (I use canola oil)

1 egg

1 tsp lemon peel zest (my zest doesn’t work so I use 1 tsp of fresh lemon juice)

Pam – or other oil to grease the pans

Optional: ¼ cup of walnuts, almonds, etc of your liking

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grab two bowls – medium and large.

In the smaller of the two bowls, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the other bowl, combine the shredded zucchini, egg, sugar, oil and lemon.

Pour the flour mixture into the bigger bowl and stir until moist. Divide into greased loaf pan(s).  Bake.  I let them cook for 30-35 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out dry. Cool in pans for 10 minutes then on wire rack until cool to the touch. Wrap in foil and store in air tight container. It keeps up to 4 days (but it won't last that long!)

Buon Appetito!

Recipe Time: Awesome Granola & Chocolate Chip Cookies

Awesome Granola-Chip Cookies

Original recipe is Awesome Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies by Dr. Bill Sears, The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood, 2006, page 304.

My version based on his *recommendations

½ cup honey

½ cup grapeseed oil

½ tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. sea salt

1 egg

1 ½ cups of granola (preservative free & no added sugar)

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup of carob chips (*he recommended ½ cup here J)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the granola, flour, and carob chips. Stir in granola, flour and carob chips. Drop the batter by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet and bake until light brown.

Notes: Use parchment paper. Cookies are thin and chewy so they’ll stick especially with the use of honey! J

I turned my oven down by 5 degrees and baked for 10 minutes. The batter is already brown so you’ll have to watch for a smooth brown appearance.  You may need to test one batch so bake only a couple until you get the feel for what they’ll look like when they’re done.

Buon Appetito!

Benefits of key ingredients used in this recipe:

Honey – natural energy booster; supports our immune system

Grapeseed oil – lowers bad cholesterol, rich in Vitamin E, and can help women feel better during menstrual cycle

Granola – good source of fiber

Local Shout-out: Pizzeria Venti

On Tuesday of last week, I met up with local Tweeps #smmtv at a new restaurant.

We all had the privilege of speaking with the owner, Frank Shaffer, first hand about his pizzeria venture. He owns Pizzeria Venti in Temecula with his wife, Diane. They've been opened for two months.  Frank said that he was tired of retirement (imagine that!) and said he was ready for a new adventure. So they looked into this small franchise (there are currently 13 franchises opened with another 9 coming soon in various states) by visiting another one and really liked the way the food tasted and the atmosphere. Frank is a "NY Italian" and he likes his food a certain way - HIS way! =) His family (parents) are from the outside of Sicily so his tastes have been shaped the right way!

Frank is in the red shirt. He's hands-on.

Their menu encompasses a nice range of Italian items like thin crust pizza, calzones, and pasta. They also offer 5 or 6 different salads (individual or a shareable item), beer and of course, vino (wine). 

Frank said that some ingredients are imported from the Tuscan region of Italy so that the food has a truly authentic feel and taste. As far as produce, he and his wife, support local farmers by visiting the Farmer's Market on average about once a week buying ingredients like peaches, lettuce and other items that spoil quickly. Other items that have a longer shelf life like apples and pasta he orders from a distributor for the franchise. 

A big bonus is that this restaurant has been selected as the pilot program for the iPad menu roll out they plan to do in the near future. A group of photographers were present to capture every single item on the menu to feature it as a "at your fingertip" ordering from your table. Customers will have an opportunity to order at the register or sitting down and ordering from their table and paying as well. Convenience at its finest! Don't worry though, the hospitality is high on the scale. You will still feel like part of the family. The staff took care of removing empty plates and asking us if we needed anything on a regular basis. To me, having lived in Italy, it felt like a true Italian restaurant atmosphere. In Italy, there is no rush to leaving any restaurant. Once you're there, you're like family! Many great memories are shared around the "dinner" table in an Italian family/setting. 

I enjoyed a 4"x8" slice of garlic broccoli pizza and shared their fresh apple salad with my friend @edecristo (find her on Twitter) and a piccolo (small) serving of hazelnut gelato. Thank you friend for treating me to an awesome lunch with your #smmtv group. I'm happy to be a part of a local Tweet Up but I'm happier supporting a locally ran and owned business. 

If you're in the Temecula Valley, do stop in and see Frank and Diane Shaffer at Pizzeria Venti. Ask to be added to their e-mailing list so that you can receive their specials. Buon Appetito!!

For more information on the Pizzeria Venti franchise: Visit http://www.pizzeriaventi.com/locations.asp.

Honeysuckles

A couple weeks ago, my son and I walked around a local lake and as we were finishing up our first lap, we could smell the fruity, sweet scent of honeysuckles. 


Honeysuckles bring me back to my childhood. I grew up on the East Coast and honeysuckles were everywhere! With the change of Winter to Spring and with the smell of fresh cut grass came the sweetness of honeysuckles. The honeysuckle season seemed to last only a month or so. They were gone well before Summer. Living in Southern California provides many benefits and in this particular case, honeysuckles lasting well into June (and possibly longer)!


I'm usually pressed to finish my laps but this particular evening, I decided to teach my son the beauty of eating the nectar from a honeysuckle. We stepped aside and popped a squat on the grass next to a shrub of honeysuckles. Looking around there weren't that many to choose from. The landscapers had came through the day before and cut most of them down. I don't know perhaps they're a nuisance of some kind? I hope that's not the case because they smell beautifully and the nectar is sweet to eat! I recently learned that there are over 100 species of honeysuckle! I had NO clue! I'm only familiar with the white flour type. I know there is a scientific word for it but I have some pictures below that will show you exactly what I am referring to.


After popping a squat, I picked out a few white flowered honeysuckles and showed my son how to pull off the bottom and pull out the "stamen [to] reveal a small drop of honeysuckle nectar" (M. Holt) then I gave him a few turns. He got it in no time. He's a fast learner for being 2. Here are some pictures of our adventure. 

For more information on honeysuckles check out eHow's site.

Enjoy the simple pleasures of life and Be Well.