What I Ate Last Wednesday

This week I am back to my usual What I Ate Wednesday posts. The last two weeks were specials from my trips to Berlin and London. 

I'm linking up with Jenn over at Peas and Crayons for the What I Ate Wednesday Party, come check it out!

This week, the photos I took were from my sight seeing day with my good friend, Jackie. She came over to my side of Amsterdam and we took a very long bike ride, which I will tell you more about tomorrow, but the food of course was delicious as always. See it now...

As always, starting off with my favorite bullet proof-esque coffee. 

Here is my favorite recipe:

1 lungo nespresso capsule

1 espresso nespresso capsule

1 tablespoon of coconut oil

1 tablespoon grass fed unsalted butter

1.5 tablespoons local honey

75 ml steamed milk (this recipe is now steamed, local raw milk)

Mix together with a spoon or an immersion blender if you are super picky...it usually blends really well for me, so I don't typically have to use the immersion.

This is so high in calories and good fat from the oil, butter, and milk that it serves as my breakfast along side a banana with peanut butter, which will not be having it's modeling debut today ;) But, it is good and gives me the energy I need to get a workout completed most mornings!

But, this particular morning I did not workout as my friend met me at my house at 10, we had some lavender mint water I'd made. Super simple and delicious:

1-2 sprigs of dried lavender, with the buds, a sprig of mint, let sit in 1 liter of water over night and then drink up!

Now, when we left for our bike ride, we were out for a basic stroll, but I knew we were going to wind up at the local Melktap as she grew up on a dairy farm that her family still owns, so I wanted her to see this. There are several around the Netherlands, this one is just 3 quick miles from my house. It is raw milk that you vend yourself...come back tomorrow for more info on it. The milk is amazing and we each had a cup before we left!

Yum, yum...fresh from the cow milk!

After this we made our way back over in to the city, but we weren't done with nature yet so decided on lunch in Amstel Park. This park is wonderful because you are completely surrounded by nature, but can be back in the city within a 10 minute bike ride. There are two full service restaurants in the park. The one we went to, De Hop 2.0, is the more laid back of the two and has much better food.

Exhibit 1: Pancake. It is filled with cheese and ham and is as big as that plate. It was amazing. I could only eat about a quarter of it though....and they were worried I really didn't like it...I'm all over here do you people see how big this thing is?! 

Exhibit 2: Wine, pretty large pour as well, gotta love Europe!

After eating I headed home to meet my teenager. We weren't very hungry so we went for a walk and stopped by the grocery store, by the time we got home we were starving! She wanted to cook so I threw the menu out the window and let her have at it..how cute is she?!

Cooking up a storm in the  kitchen!

She wound up making a delicious, healthy, protein packed dinner of red lentils, she topped it with chicken, scrambled egg, tomatoes, and sweet chili sauce.

This week wasn't filled with tons of food, but what I did eat was extremely filling. Tune in tomorrow for more on the bike ride we did!

Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Whew! Fell a little bit behind, but I am back! Today, I bring you some super fun to make extra use of that George Foreman grill you have lying around. I know you have one...we had one since the day we got married in 1999 and still have one living in Holland, so I know you have one. But, did you know you can use it for more than just grilling meat?! I came up with this idea when I saw a "panini" maker advertised in a catalog on Christmas...I was living in a small apartment and really wanted one, but was so tired of buying new gadgets! So, I thought to myself, hey, these look an awful lot a like, so I gave it a go and it worked famously...we now call the grill the panini maker half the time. This is one of our favorite things to make in the grill.

This amazingly delicious grilled peanut butter and banana panini. It is a delicious treat, in all its peanut buttery, honey, glory. 

Here is what you will need for one sandwich...

• 2 pieces of cinnamon raisin bread
• 1 tsp honey
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1/2 banana

Here's what you do...

1. Spread some peanut butter on one piece of your cinnamon raisin bread (you can put some on both pieces if you are a peanut butter nut like me hehe, but be careful it is high in calories as good as it is for you ;))
   
2. Slice up half that banana and put it on top of the peanut butter.
   
3. Drizzle a bit of honey on top.
   
4. Top with second slice of bread.
   
5. Put in the George Foreman grill and put the lid down. I let mine toast for about 10 minutes, but keep an eye out as yours may be at a hotter temperature than mine. 

This is probably the teeanger's new favorite thing for breakfast...what is your favorite thing to make for breakfast?

Winter Mint Tea

When we moved to Amsterdam I was really into trying anything new...especially new foods. I had no idea that one of my favorite things would wind up being a tea!

One day when I was out with a friend she asked if I had ever tried the fresh mint tea here in The Netherlands...to which I promptly scoffed and replied, uh, no, coffee for me all the way. Then her tea came. And it smelled amazing.

Next time I was out I tried some and it really is delicious! It is low in calories, yet flavorful! I love being able to have something with taste with out all the guilt. I can no longer drink anything carbonated, it makes my stomach feel awful. ...and honestly I would rather eat my daily calories than drink them! haha But, I do sometimes get board of just plain water. You guys have seen my flavored water mixes I've created in the past!

For the basic mint tea there really isn't a secret to it...you buy fresh mint leaves, pour some boiling water over them and voila...Mint Tea! In the grocery store here I pay about €0,99 for a small pack of fresh mint leaves which is more than enough for me, if I want the larger pack, if they are in stock I will pay anywhere from €1,00 to €1, 50. A small pack I can get 2-3 glasses out of the large pack, well, it is large that can be a lot of tea! ha! However, at a cafe you will easily pay a solid €3,00 for this...sometimes less, but every once in a while a little more. So, making it at home is obviously the better option!

Below I am going to introduce you a variation on the basic mint tea!

Winter Mint Tea

Serves 1

• Fresh mint leaves
• Quarter of a lemon
• 1 Tea bag with the flavors cinnamon, nutmeg, and orange (I used Pickwick Winter Glow)

1. Place the washed mint leaves in your cup. 
2. Lightly squeeze lemon over the mint leaves. 
3. Pour boiling water over the leaves and lemon then put the tea bag into the water. 
4. Let steep for 3-4 minutes. 
5. Remove the tea bag and lemon slice. 
6. You can remove the mint too but I love to leave it in there, gives it more of  minty smell as I sip and clears my nose ;)
7. Enjoy!

In the event you need to be further convinced to give this a try here are a few reasons.

Health Benefits of Mint:

• Helps digestion/relieve inflammation
• Helps with Nausea and Headaches
• Can help clear congestion
• It is a natural stimulant and can help recharge the brain
• Freshens breath

Health Benefits of Lemon:

• Helps with digestion
• Can help cleanse the body
• Boots the immune system since it is high in Vitamin C
• Freshens Breath
• Natural stimulant, can help recharge the brain
• Promotes healing

Lemon and mint share a lot of the same natural healing properties. These two are a power house when combined. If you try it, make sure to let me know! 

What is your favorite warm beverage during the winter months?

Apple Cinnamon Peanut Butter Wrap!

I love anything with peanut butter and anything in a wrap...so does my kid. This is a great lunchbox main course because even if your kid is in a peanut free school you can easily make this with an allergy friendly alternative spread.

I usually do not make this in advance as my child apparently has a very sensitive palate and she does not like the lemon juice I put on the apples to keep them from browning coupled with the PB so I just make it the day of and the apples stay fine until lunch.

What ya need:
1 tortilla
1/2 an apple
chia seeds
sprinkle of raisins/craisins
cinnamon and/or nutmeg

How ya do it:
Spread a tablespoon or so of peanut butter on the tortilla so it is sufficiently covered.

Dice up half an apple so it is fairly small, place in the middle of the tortilla.

Sprinkle with a few raisins or craisins or a little of both.

Sprinkle lightly with chia seeds for some added protein, then add a little cinnamon and nutmeg for some spice!

I put this in her lunch box with some berries and tomatoes and cucumber slices.

What is your favorite lunch item to take to work or school? How about for the kiddos?

Linking up to One Project at a time!

Hot Buttered Rum Recipe

A few weeks back for the #countdown2Xmas photo prompt, cheer, I posted this fabulous cup of what I call *holiday cheer*, which really is just a Hot Buttered Rum of sorts.
See, yum!!! I will warn you I sort of "bulletproofed" this recipe. I hadn't had a ton of fat the day I created it so I threw a bunch in there. It makes for a delicious treat!

A photo posted by Kate (@diaryofanurbanhousewife) on Dec 12, 2014 at 8:35am PST

Here is how I did it.

Hot Buttered Rum
Serves 1
Shot of Bacardi Oakheart
Double shot of Honey Mead
Up to 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil*
Up to 1 Tablespoon of butter
Pinch of cinnamon
 *Note: Tread lightly with the coconut oil. If you aren't used to eating it, it has *cleansing* properties to it so start out low, you could go as low as a tsp and still get the coconutty flavour.

Combine all in a sauce pan and heat on medium-low heat until butter and coconut oil are melted and the rum and mead are warm, I usually heat until I see steam.

Don't heat too long as you don't want to burn off all the alcohol, after all this is a cup of holiday cheer for us adults ;)

Caprese Eggs

Years ago my husband and I took an anniversary trip to Cancun and I had a caprese salad. It was amazing...tomato, fresh mozzarella, and basil....ever since that I have been trying to recreate this concoction in as many different ways as possible. My latest creation of this was in dinner earlier this week.

I love eggs. I specifically love scrambled eggs! They are protein packed, cheap, and quick to prepare. I eat them at least twice a day.

Now this recipe is not exact measurements it is pretty much to taste.

Start off by melting a tablespoon or two of butter or coconut oil over medium-high heat. Mince one to two cloves of garlic into the butter as it melts. Once the butter starts to sizzle add a handful of red onion, to taste, let fry for a minute or two. Throw in a small diced tomato, let fry for another minute or two. 

While those are frying whisk eggs in a bowl, I did 6 eggs. Pour into hot pan and turn the temp down to medium low. Sprinkle some mozzarella in and let melt while you stir the eggs. In between stirring mince some fresh basil. Once the eggs are close to being done sprinkle in the fresh basil and cook until done. 

Once you are ready to serve, put on plates and sprinkle with more mozzarella.

I served my eggs with some potato wedges and fresh pumpkin! It was all so delicious and filling!

What is your favorite way to cook eggs?!

"Recipe" for a perfect fall weekend +menu plan monday #56

Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year. I think it has something to do with growing up in Florida it was a season I didn't see much of. I had no idea what leaves changing really looked like, what it really meant to have that change in the weather, and how cozy fall fashion can be!

So, here is my "recipe" for the perfect fall weekend:

1 part quality time with he husband.

2 parts family time.

1 part sightseeing.

2 parts enjoying nature.

Plus a pinch of relaxing to rejuvenate the soul

Which is everything we did this weekend...

Started with an amazing breakfast of banana pancakes and healthy fried apples.

It was a gorgeous fall day so we took a friend on a bike ride through the countryside....

Everything is still so lush and green,,,we are loving it...it was super muddy though and very windy!

I love the directional signs!

We then biked downtown and enjoyed a drink on the patio...where service was even more horrendous than normal lol

We than had an impromptu picnic on the edge of a canal..nice oil slick, eh?

We then took a lovely canal cruise...

This is the Nemo Science and Technology Centre.....

This is the back of Nemo...it has seats so you can sit up there and enjoy a beverage or lunch...in the summer it has a water installation so the kids can play up there and stay cool! I also love the sailboats!

We then had a full day of cheerleading...

I loved this catch...it was so clean!

I took a walk to stretch my legs...this lake was beautiful...I love that fountain that is out there.

I love coming home on the train...that still has not gotten old. The quality time I get with the kiddo when we are waiting is priceless.

Ended the day with a homemade meal...end of season zucchini and onions, sweet potato fries, and a chicken breast on the foreman.

We had such a fabulous weekend...hard to believe it will be topped by a trip to Rome here shortly! If you follow me on Instagram you can see my Rome photos as the happen. ;)

Now...to get ready for the week ahead!

Breakfast 

Cream of Wheat, cereal, fruit bowl, eggs and veggies scramble

Lunch

Monday: Leftovers: chicken parm with zucchini

Tues: lunch out with a friend/ham and cheese sub

Wednesday: Leftovers or tuna salad

Thursday: Tuna salad/ham and cheese sub

Friday: pbj, apple, chips, soda as a treat ;)

Dinner

The time has come for the husband to crunch, so sadly the kiddo and I are on our own for dinner this week so it will be full of mostly meat free.

Monday: Whole wheat ravioli with onions, garlic, and cherry tomatoes

Tuesday: Open face caprese sandwiches with side salad and pumpkin

Wednesday: Thin crust pizza's with side salad

Thursday: Caprese quinoa bake (to use up the basil from earlier in the week & to freeze some)

Friday: Dinner in Rome! YAY!

Saturday: Dinner in Rome again! YAY!

Sunday: We will go to the Pure Markt once we are back from Rome and get some amazing for Amsterdam BBQ.

That sums it up for me this week. I can't wait to try the quinoa bake. My dirty little secret is that I am not a quinoa lover so I am hoping that will help me like it a bit more.

What are you cooking up this week?

Btw, I am linking up over at Org Junkie, come join the par-tay! :)