Two Ways To Use Fresh Pineapple

I got up this morning with pineapple on my mind. I had a fresh pineapple just calling my name. I decided to cut it up and have some of it for breakfast. Well, if you've been reading the blog, you were probably able to guess what I had for breakfast. I've been on this smoothie kick and I just can't get enough of them. It's like having a milkshake for breakfast, but way better. The smoothie today, I am calling Black Cherry Pineapple. If pineapple and black cherry aren't your thing, you can check out the other smoothie recipes on my recipe page.

What's in the glass
Fresh Pineapple
Black Cherry Chobani Greek Yogurt 0%
Milk 2%
Multi Grain Flakes Cereal
Ground Flax
Ice Cubes

 I was hoping that the pineapple would be the dominant flavor, but I think the black cherry won.

 

I had the girls (my grand babies) today, while their Mom ran an errand. Miss Mary wasn't feeling too good today for some reason. She wanted to be held and eventually went to sleep and slept most of the time. Miss Lexi was very good. She played with baby dolls and dressed in her fairy costume, while playing games on the computer and watching Barney (way to multi task). She also had lunch which consisted of a bowl of mac & cheese, 1 banana, an angel biscuit with cheese and several Town House crackers. She was in need of a nap herself, so I think the food was a way to stay awake.  

I had one of Amy's Bowls for lunch. It was one I hadn't tried. I was the Country Cheddar made with organic pasta and vegetables in a cheddar cheese sauce. As usual it with Amy's dinners, it was a winner. I do think her Mexican stuff is what she does best though. Check out the other Amy's dishes I've tried by clicking the Amy's label at the bottom of the post.

What's in the bowl

Broccoli

Julienne Carrots

Roasted Potatoes

Red Bell Peppers

Baked Tofu

Rotini Pasta

Creamy Aged Cheddar Cheese Sauce

I've never eaten tofu before or at least I don't think I have. It was pretty good. The texture kind of reminded me of a boiled egg. It didn't really have a flavor. I only tasted the veggies and cheese sauce. It also looked like the chunks of potato. I had to take a bite to tell the difference.

 

I also had a few peanut butter pretzels. These things are too yummy. I took the container to Lucas for him to keep in his room......so that I don't eat the whole thing. Outa sight, outa mind.

 

For dinner I had leftover black beans to eat. I wanted to do something different with them. I just happened to find a recipe for a Black Bean & Pineapple Quesadilla. Sounded good to me, so I thought I'd give it a try. It was pretty good, so, I'm posting the recipe with photos.

I loved the sweet and spicy combo. I should have used more pineapple though and had sour cream instead of taco sauce. Sure, I'd eat these again. I always ask Lucas, "Would you eat it again?", because that's how I can tell if he really likes something or not.

Well, I've done three posts in one day or one night, so I'm cutting it short. I've too tired to think what I've left out, but I'm sure there something. If it's anything major, just let me know and I will try to fix it. The Blog World has been busy lately. My site and I really appreciate the Look-y Lou's. If you'd like to come back later, please do. You can subscribe by RSS Feed or Email. You can also follow me on Twitter. Any questions, just leave a comment.  No questions, leave a comment anyway. Thanks.

Black Cherry Pineapple Smoothie Recipe

 

This is a yummy smoothie made with fresh pineapple and Black Cherry Chobani Greek nonfat yogurt. I was hoping that the pineapple would be the dominant flavor when I made this, but the Black Cherry won, I think. You can tell the pineapple is in there, but the black cherry flavor is equally strong.

 

Update 4-09-11 - I've changed the amounts of oatmeal or cereal in some of my other smoothie recipes because they turned out very thick, but I think this one was alright. The smoothies tend to thicken up some a few minutes after blending. You can also try 1/3 C. of oatmeal instead of the cereal if you prefer. Let me know if you think this one is too thick. Thanks.

Ingredients

3/4 C. Fresh Pineapple Pieces

1 Black Cherry Chobani Greek Nonfat Yogurt

1/2 C. Milk 2%

1/2 C. Multi Grain Flakes Cereal

2 tsp. Ground Flax

3-4 Ice Cubes

Directions

Throw everything in your blender and blend until smooth. Enjoy!

Black Bean And Pineapple Quesadilla Recipe

 

 

 Today I found a recipe for a  black bean and pineapple quesadilla. I didn't follow the recipe exactly. I used most of the same ingredients, but not the same amounts. I also omitted the green chilies. I didn't want to open a whole can for just one quesadilla. I used my own taco seasoning which has red pepper flakes for heat. I used fresh pineapple and I also used Mexican blend cheese instead of cheddar. One more thing I did differently was putting my quesadilla in an iron skillet and grilling it instead of in the oven. I really liked this. I accidentally put a little too much taco seasoning, but I still thought it was great. I would like to have had a little more pineapple on mine. I enjoyed the sweetness and the heat. I also used taco sauce for dipping, but preferred the quesadilla without it. I think sour cream would have been better.

 

I put chopped onion and a little olive oil in a pan and cooked the onion until it was soft.

 

I then added my leftover black beans.

 

I mashed the beans with the onion and added my taco seasoning and a little water, then I spread the mixture onto my tortilla.

I placed the fresh pineapple pieces on top of the bean mixture.

I sprinkled Mexican blend cheese over the beans and pineapple and placed another tortilla on top. Then I placed it in a heated skillet, browning it on one side, then flipping to brown the other side. 

I cut it into wedges and used a little taco sauce for dipping. Not bad, but I think I would prefer sour cream with this quesadilla. 

 This is the recipe I used. I found it here on Food.com.

Ingredients

• 1 flour tortillas
• 1 -2 ounce green chilies, diced
• 1 -2 ounce onions, diced
• 2 ounces pineapple tidbits
• 4 ounces refried black beans ( I used black beans and mashed them myself)
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 -2 ounce cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Stir chilies and onion over medium-high until onions are translucent.
3. Add refried black beans and taco seasoning to chilies and onion in pan and mix well.
4. Spread mixture across 1/2 of the tortilla.
5. Sprinkle with pineapple bits and cheese.
6. Fold over the other half of the tortilla.
7. Bake at 300 until cheese is melted and beans are warmed through, about 10-12 minutes.
8. Serve with toppings of your choice, such as sour cream, guacamole, diced tomato, etc.

Sunny Surprise

Yes, another smoothie. Sorry, but I am really loving these. It satisfies me and stays with me for hours. No need for munching in between breakfast and lunch. I do wish the recipe made slightly less. This smoothie is very yummy and it's one that Lucas will drink. I call it my Berry Banana Pineapple Smoothie (click to see the recipe or go to my recipe page).

What's in the glass
Chopped Banana
Chopped Strawberry
Multi Grain Flakes Cereal
Milk 2%
Pineapple Chobani Greek Yogurt 0%
Chopped Walnuts
Ground Flax
Honey
Ice Cubes

 

To my surprise the sun was shining when I got up. I had just looked at the weather forecast before going to bed. It didn't mention sun. In fact it was calling for rain until Saturday. It was a nice surprise. It was also a little warmer. I always feel better when the sun it shining. I took advantage of it. I rearranged my bedroom today. I haven't felt like moving furniture in quite a while. Unfortunately we are suppose to get the rain. Fingers crossed, they'll be wrong again, lol. 

For lunch I had a piece of my leftover Amy's Pesto pizza with salad on the side. I made the mistake of heating it in the microwave. The crust was already pretty brown, so I put it in the microwave to heat it instead of my toaster oven, but the result was a tough inedible crust. My only complaint about the pizza was that the crust browned faster than the middle of the pizza cooked. Maybe next time I will try to remember to use a lower temp.

 

The salad was very good. I had Italian blend salad with a little spinach, sliced Roma tomato, cucumber, & carrot with sun dried tomato vinaigrette. 

 

It was Zumba day. We had Zumba class this evening. I'd been looking forward to it all day. We always have a good time and we get a good workout. I took a SmartWater with me. I always take a large bottle of water. We usually drink most of it between songs. I have another bottle waiting for Thursday's class. 

After getting home, I have a bowl of my kicked up canned soup from Saturday. I also had some Tostitos Fire Roasted Chipotle Tortillas, perfect for my soup. They are light and crispy not too spicey, but plenty of flavor. My soup was spicey enough to make up for it. I think chipotle powder gets stronger as it sits, but I love it. No cheese this time, but it is very good with cheese. I've just had enough dairy for one day.

 

This was a very good day. It could have been better, but if I have more days like today, I wouldn't complain. How was your day? What's your latest food WOW, something new, you just can't get enough of?

Berry Banana Pineapple Smoothie Recipe

 

Berry Banana Pineapple Smoothie

A rich, thick, fruity smoothie. Makes 1 large or 2 small smoothies. Very tastey and very filling.

1/2 C. Chopped Strawberries
1/2 C. Chopped Banana
1/2 C. Multi Grain Flakes Cereal
1/2 C. Milk 2%
1 Pineapple Chobani Greek Yogurt 0%
1 T. Chopped Walnuts
2 tsp. Ground Flax
2 tsp. Honey (optional)
3-4 Ice Cubes

Directions:

Throw everything in your blender and blend until smooth.  

Pizza Craving Satisfied

Another cold dreary day with no sign of sun in the forecast until Saturday. I just had to depend on good food to brighten my day. Another Apple Crisp Smoothie helped. I tweaked it a bit to make it slightly thicker than the first, by using 1/3 cup of oatmeal instead of 1/4 cup. I also updated the recipe.

I wish I had known about smoothies when the kids were little. It was difficult to get Lucas to eat breakfast before going to school. I use to buy the carnation instant breakfast for him to drink instead. He enjoys the smoothies now, but I haven't convinced him to try them with oatmeal yet. I wasn't sure about adding it myself at first, but now I'm glad I tried it. I did get him to try it with the multi grain flakes. It really makes a difference when you are having the smoothie as a meal. You don't have to worry about being hungry again, a couple of hours later. 

 

What's in the glass

1/2 A Gala Apple

Old Fashioned Oats

FL Vanilla Yogurt 1%

Milk 2%

Chopped Walnuts

Ground Flax

Cinnamon

A Few Ice Cubes

Cold, thick, and delicious!

 

 I used my smoothie energy to get my my kitchen and living room mopped, as well as another load of clothes done. Since I have up and down days, I have to take advantage of the up days and try to get as much done as possible. Since I've been exercising, I think I've had fewer down days. 

I had leftovers from Sunday's Feast for lunch. I think I could have eaten less and been satisfied. It was just about too much for a meal. It reminds me of the Japanese Bento lunch boxes, of course the food isn't arranged decoratively as with some Bento lunches. You can google Bento box images to see some really fancy Bento lunches.

 

 After giving my lunch  a while to digest, I had my piece of Tiramisu. I love just about any dessert that involves cream cheese. Whoever discovered how wonderful it can be as a dessert, deserves at least an honorable mention. Do you love cream cheese desserts? What's your favorite?

 

 

The guys decided tonight was pizza night and I just happened to have an Amy's Pesto pizza with tomato and broccoli in my freezer and I just happened to need to eat something from my freeze before someone is injured by falling objects, when opening the freezer door. My secret is out on frozen yogurt also. Dale opened the freezer door and my nonfat Peach fell out. He says, he was forced to eat it, because he couldn't get it back in the freezer (a likely story).

 

I also had a lovely Roma tomato and a cucumber begging to take their place on my salad with a little sun dried tomato vinaigrette. As usual Amy didn't disappoint me. I can almost always count on a delicious dinner when an Amy's dish is involved.

 

I've been craving pizza for a while. This one sure hit the spot. I can't wait to eat the rest of it. I'm also thinking about more smoothie ideas. Any suggestions?

Sunday Feast

I jumped out of bed this morning, ready for another smoothie. I'd thought about doing another Apple Crisp Smoothie, but I decided to try a something different. I was craving a banana, so I came up with my Banana Nut Smoothie. I used a little more oatmeal in this one to see if I could get a slightly thicker smoothie than my apple version. This one turned out just right. It also made a little more than the other, but it didn't go to waste.

 

What's in the glass

 1 Banana

Old Fashioned Oats

FL Vanilla Yogurt 1%

Milk 2%

Chopped Walnuts

Cinnamon

Brown Sugar

Ground Flax

Ice Cubes

You can find the recipe for my Banana Nut Smoothie here or on my recipe page. It was yummy and delicious.

 

We had a feast for dinner at Mom's. Lots of food for our plates. If anyone left hungry, it was their own choosing. I don't even eat any of the meat and I was stuffed. Here's the line up.

Spiral Ham

 Beef Roast

 

 Barbecued Chicken Breast

 

 Tortilla Casserole

Roasted Vegetables

 Spanish Rice

 

 Layered Salad

 

Angel Biscuits

 

 Baked Mac & Cheese

 

Corn Casserole

 

This is what I had on my plate. Salad w/ Yogurt Ranch Dressing, Mac & Cheese, Spanish Rice, Tortilla Casserole and last, but not least, an Angel Biscuit.

 

And you know I wouldn't be me, if I didn't forget a photo of something and this weeks missing photo is the Tiramisu dessert and a shot of the piece I ate. It was gone faster than you can say Tiramisu. You can check out a shot here from the last time.

After eating way too much earlier, I decided to go with leftover salad and rosemary pita chips for dinner.

What's in the salad

Iceberg Lettuce Blend 

Onion 

Green Pepper

Celery

Thawed Frozen Peas

Cucumber

Broccoli 

Shredded Cheddar 

I added carrot, red bell pepper, bacon bits, & sundried tomato vinaigrette.

 Considering the day was cold & dreary, it turned out rather well. My butt hardly touched a seat today, so I am considering my active day as exercise, of course I will be doing my yoga before bed. It relaxes me and helps me sleep better. I also do my up body weight exercises to strengthen my upper back and arms. How do you relax before bed?