Standard Process Cleanse - Week 2

I’ve officially closed out week two of The Standard Process Cleanse. Week one was certainly a challenge, emotionally, physically and food-wise. I was told that week two would be a breeze in comparison and that I should really start to feel physically better, more energetic, and emotionally balanced. I’m kind of a skeptic at heart so when I first started to feel the increased energy I sort of assumed it was some sort of placebo effect. Certainly somewhere deep in my subconscious I knew that I was supposed to feel more energetic so it was playing out into my life. But as the week progressed, I began to feel more alive, more energetic, and honestly, happier. Sure – I still had my moments of frustration and I lost my patience with the kids a few times (please, if there is a supplement to help me be more patient, call me) but overall, I haven’t felt this physically and emotionally well in a very long time.

Of course – a week cannot go by without a lesson learned. In this case, I learned two valuable lessons and began to meet a new network of people who know of and have done the SP Cleanse! I’m also excited to mention that I’ve been approached on several occasions by people asking me for more information about the SP Cleanse (thanks Patch)!

New friends – Most of the time when someone inquires about my strange looking shake or why I don’t want to join the group for lunch and I tell them it is because I’m doing the SP Cleanse, they sort of give me a vague stare and make some sort of uncomfortable comment like, “Better you than me,” or the popularly insincere “Let me know how that works out for you.” But every once in a while you meet a person who has heard of the SP Cleanse, or who has done it, and for that I am thankful. Last week I was seated next to someone at a baby shower and the subject of the cleanse came up. My shower neighbor informed me that she and her each husband do the cleanse once a year (good idea) and that they still drink the shakes every morning. I am thankful for her tip on the giant bag of mixed frozen fruit from Sam’s Club. It has been a lifesaver for a quick afternoon sweet treat!

Cinnamon – As far as the smoothies go, I’ve kind of been winging it. I mix various fruits & veggies and on the weekends I break out the juicer for an added zing. Some are better than others, but no matter what produce configuration I blend together, I can’t seem to get rid of that weird taste that the SP Cleanse powder gives the shakes. So I was leafing through the SP Cleanse book again over the weekend and saw a recipe for the Apple Pie smoothie (or something like that). It was simple, one apple, half a banana, cleanse powder, and a bit of cinnamon, water, ice. As I took my first sip I was thrilled. Mostly because it really was sweet, and it was as close to apple pie as I was going to get for the next 10 days. But overall, I noticed that the cinnamon killed the aftertaste of the shake powder. Now all of my fruit shakes contain cinnamon. I highly recommend.

Close the Lid – I think I mentioned last week that I have been bringing this ultra cool blender bottle to work for my afternoon shake. I double up my morning shake preparation and pour the second half in the blender bottle and I drink it as a late afternoon snack. The other day I was on my way from the kitchenette at work back to my desk and as I began to do my routine walk and shake I was given a peach, blueberry, mango bath! Fortunately the majority of it landed on the floor but my hair, shirt and pants did not walk away unscathed.

Day 11 of the SP cleanse also brought forth a new and exciting addition to my diet—meat! Yes, days 11-21 one is permitted lean meats (chicken and fish). And because I’ve been craving tacos for the past 10 days, I whipped up these delights over the weekend.

Ground chicken tacos (DIY seasoning) in lettuce cups with fresh guacamole

Taco Ingredients
Ground chicken (or turkey or 92% lean beef)
1 small onion
1 tsp garlic

DIY Taco Seasoning2 tsp. chili powder
1.5 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. Celtic sea salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
dash of ground cayenne pepper (add a little more if you want more spice)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Guacamole
1 whole avocado (diced)
1 hand full of Cilantro leaves finely chopped (I like a lot of cilantro so feel free to cut back)
½ Red Onion finely diced & rinsed (again – I like onion so cut back on that too if you want)
Juice from ½ lime
Celtic Sea Salt

How I did it
Brown ground chicken (or turkey or lean beef) with garlic and onion (drain any excess oil if there is any). Add DIY taco seasoning (add a small amount of water – 1 tbsp if it seems a little dry)

Mix guacamole and rinse/dry lettuce. I used Boston Leaf Lettuce because it makes cute little cups for serving.

Scoop a mixture of meat into the lettuce leaf, top w/ guacamole (or salsa or cheese).

Standard Process Cleanse - Week 1 Overview

With one week down and two weeks to go, I know for certain that I can finish what I started. If you haven’t already read about it, I’m doing the Standard Process 21 day cleanse. During the cleanse, one is not permitted caffeine, sugar, or alcohol (my three favorite things). For the entire 21 days one consumes mostly fruits and vegetables, some lentils, brown rice, wild rice, and an unimaginable quantity of supplements (some of which are mixed into smoothies). Remind me again why I’m doing this?

I had some interesting takeaways from week one.

1.       Planning: I know this is probably obvious but as I said before, I am lazy. I certainly had all of the materials I needed to get through the first few days, I had a plan in my mind but come crunch time, I wasn’t ready at all. I was fortunate that Monday was a holiday and I didn’t need to rouse a spring break-afied 5-year-old out of bed. With that being said – I still had to pack my lunch, make my first official “smoothie” and make it to work on time.

2.       Check Your Teeth: On Day 1 I made a delicious strawberry, blueberry, and pineapple smoothie. I made a double-batch so I could drink half in the morning and the other half during the workday. I drank a good portion of the smoothie on my way to work and walked into the office smiling and greeting everyone post long-weekend. Around 10:00 I headed to the ladies room and on my way out gave myself a quick smile in the mirror (I do it every time - call it self-affirmation, strange, or OCD). To my horror, I looked like a pirate ridden with scurvy. The skin from the blueberries had taken up the vast majority of real estate between each of my teeth.

3.       Check Your Calendar: Seriously – if you are like me and do not do well in social situations without a cocktail in-hand (is that another topic?), make sure you don’t have any major events on the horizon. Also, make sure that you haven’t committed to making 300 cake/cookie pops for a fundraiser. Both of which happened to me this weekend. I volunteered to make 300 cake/cookie pops for my good friends at The North Canton Chamber of Commerce’s, Mad Men event. If you were there, you’ll have to let me know how they turned out because I proudly did not taste a single one. Also, if I seemed a little anti-social, you can see the beginning of this section (lack of social skills sans cocktail).

There have been a few ups and downs and small print items that I wasn’t aware of. In the first few days, aside from the caffeine withdrawal, random injuries from the past have a tendency to flare up or become sore. I experienced some shoulder pain from an old sports injury (hahahaha – I never played sports) and some muscle soreness in my hamstrings, which have been a trouble-spot for me post-kids (good to be married to a massage therapist on those days). This is a normal symptom and only lasted a day or so. There is also some hormone regulation that happens during the process. This might explain why I cried during T-Ball on Saturday and again on Sunday during a nothing-but-normal conversation with my sister-in-law. It was actually the first T-Ball practice and I fear that I’ve already been labeled!

SO how am I feeling after one week? I actually feel really good. I don’t miss coffee at all. I’m perfectly okay drinking tea and water during the day. I feel like I have more energy after work and after the kids go to bed. As far as my weight goes, I did lose about 4 pounds but I’m going to attribute that to the immediate diet change AND the fact that I REALLY did a good job stocking up on junk prior to starting (aka – almost an entire box of cheeze-its).

One thing I do miss at times is what feels like a good warm dinner. I’ve been skimming through the booklet as well as through some additional literature and websites and I came up with this little gem on Friday. It gave me just what I needed in the way of comfort food.

Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Asparagus over Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
2 Garlic Cloves
1 small red onion (I used half of a medium)
Grape Tomatoes
Asparagus
Olive Oil
Salt (I used Cypress Sea Salt because it is recommended on the cleanse)

Cut Squash in half (vertically) and remove seeds. If you have an oil mister, spritz the inside of the squash with a little Olive Oil. If not – put a little in the bottom of the 9x13 Pyrex and spread it around. Place the squash FACE DOWN in the pan. Roast on 375 for 20-30 minutes.

Mince your garlic and dice your onion and sauté in a little bit of olive oil.

In the mean time – chop the bottom stem off of the asparagus and discard. Chop the remaining spears into thirds. Throw them into a bowl with about 1 cup of grape tomatoes, toss them (or spritz them) with a bit of olive oil (you don’t need a lot) and some salt. Throw them on to a cookie sheet and roast them in your 375 oven for about 5-7 minutes.

Once the squash is out of the oven (and cool enough to touch) – using a fork, lightly scrape the insides into a bowl. The consistency of the squash should look like strands of angel hair as it comes out.

Once the roasted veggies are done (to your desired tenderness) dump them into the pan with your sautéed garlic and onion and mix them up.

Plate up some of your spaghetti squash and top it with your asparagus/tomato mixture.

This recipe really hit the spot when I was in the mood for some much-needed comfort food. Would it have been better with some crumbled goat cheese on top? You betcha! But as it stands, I’ll take what I can get.

Standard Process Cleanse - Day 2

I still do not have this morning thing down pat. I even woke up 20 minutes early so I could get everything pulled together, but I didn’t take into account dragging a five year old out of bed and back into the routine of getting ready for school after Easter break. Shame on me for not packing my lunch last night and shame on me for not counting out those pills!

Let me touch on the pills for a second. In the first 10 days of the cleanse you take 30 pills a day. You read that correctly—30 pills a day. There are 7 Standard Process Cleanse pills and 3 Fiber Supplement pills (like I’m not getting enough fiber right now) that are taken three times a day. I’ve never been adverse to pill swallowing. Some smaller pills I can even handle without water, but these monsters require some effort. I’ve gagged already several times trying to choke down the pills and swigs of water. Mind you – I’m also not a huge water drinker from the get-go, so chugging the amount of water it takes to wash down 10 pills in one sitting is already challenge enough. There has to be a better way, please discuss.

I’m still not very adventurous in the way of my shakes. I really want to make a few that include veggies, but that would involve me waking up even earlier to juice said veggies. This morning was a concoction of strawberries, pineapple and banana. Wishing I would have swapped out the banana for Mango but whatevs, maybe tomorrow!

I think that the caffeine withdrawal is starting to set in a bit. Around 10:00 I started to feel the tinges of a headache approaching. I tried to stave it off with a cup of green tea but I’m not sure that it really worked.

Lunch was another salad topped with the remaining garlic/parsley dressing and the rest of my shake. I didn’t really grab anything else. I wish I would have brought the leftover squash/zucchini mix from dinner last night. I went to the kitchenette to get my lunch out of the fridge and a group of guys from the office were about to dig into some Taco Bell. I saw myself jumping across the table and ripping the Bell Grande right out of their hands and devouring it like I was some sort of nacho goblin, but I didn’t. 

The caffeine headache really started to kick in around 2:00 – and it is getting progressively worse. This is going to be a fun evening! I think if I were quitting caffeine without the diet change I would feel much more sluggish at this point. I hear that after a week in I should have more energy so we’ll see.

I have a Betterment meeting tonight so dinner will have to be something fast. I heated the zucchini/squash mix and up some brown rice (that I actually had the foresight to cook in advance and pre-package into neat little 1/2 cup sized serving containers). I also made an extra smoothie. Because I had some extra time I got out the juicer and juiced a few carrots, an apple, a handful of spinach and a lemon. I tossed that into the blender with a little bit of ice and two scoops of cleanse powder and called it a drink. It looked gross but it actually tasted pretty good.

One of the hardest things is making dinner for the rest of the family. I made kielbasa and onions for the kids and as the onions were sautéing and getting a lovely caramelized color, it was hard for me not to reach in and grab a few (actually, I could have had the onions) but they were mixed in with the kielbasa and I’m not supposed to have meat.

One for the win column: I actually took the time to count out all of the pills for the rest of the week. I told you I would get around to it eventually.

As I mentioned – I have a Betterment meeting tonight. At this meeting I typically have a glass of wine. Sometimes I have two. Sometimes I get an appetizer. I was full from my shake and leftovers so I wasn’t hungry but as soon as I saw the glistening red stream of a Cabernet being poured into my friend’s glass, it took everything in my being not to order a glass for myself. But I am committed to this cleanse. I figure there is no point in doing it halfway. I’m all in here. Unfortunately my headache persisted through the night.

I did find that I wasn’t ready to crash and burn at 9:30 as I usually am. Not sure if this was part of my newly formed energy from the cleanse or just that I didn’t plop directly on to the couch as soon as the kids were in bed. I decided to put my energy to use so I ironed some clothes and did some journaling.

Standard Process Cleanse: Day 1

I drank too much coffee on Sunday so I was wide awake come sleepy time. The package of supplements, powders and the how-to book had just arrived so I figured this was as good time read up on the ins and outs of the cleanse. Let it be known that my reading comprehension levels aren’t what they used to be. So I read and re-read everything again just to make sure I didn’t mess up. I already had a basic idea of what I would need food wise so I made a trip to the grocery store over the weekend and also stocked up on some local, organic produce (mostly greens) that I receive through a fantastic CSA called Breezy Hill Farm. Seriously, check them out if you live in the Canton/North Canton area.

Morning: Not as prepared as I thought I was. I had washed and pre-chopped lettuce, radishes and most of the fruit so I had a good start. But I still had to pack lunch, make the smoothies for the day and make it to work at a reasonable hour. I’m quite thankful that there was no school today or I’m not sure what I would have done.

VERY IMPORTANT LESSON 1 – Pack lunch the night before. Have everything prepped for morning shake, Use that pill box that my mother-in-law gave me to pre-count out the vitamins.

I kept the smoothie simple – blueberries, strawberries, a frozen banana, the powder supplement and water. I made enough for breakfast and lunch. I was fortunate enough to find a blender-bottle that my husband (the Bacon) must have picked up in his travels so I dumped half of the smoothie into that container and the other half landed in my big mason-jar mug (good for car rides). The smoothie wasn’t as sweet as I anticipated but it certainly was filling. It took me quite a while to actually finish the thing. I made it to work reasonably on-time and filled up my water instead of my coffee cup.

First shake of the cleanse

VERY IMPORTANT LESSON 2 – stop in the bathroom and check your teeth for rogue blueberry particles, strawberry seeds etc. I discovered this little tidbit about two hours into my workday. When I gave myself a quick smile in the mirror, I looked like a pirate. Half of my teeth were partially blackened by blueberry skin and I had strawberry seeds in more or less every crease. A quick swish with water and I was good as new.

Part of the Standard Process cleanse is journaling. I am supposed to write down my daily food intake along with notes about how I’m feeling (hungry, cravings, anger, fatigue). My biggest concern today is caffeine withdrawal. As I said before, I am a big time coffee drinker. If coffee drinking had a Klout score, I would be off the charts. I think I’m on an excitement high because so far I haven’t had any headache symptoms or signs. My guess is that by this time tomorrow I’ll be thinking about punching people in the throat. Fortunately – I did read that one can “wean” off coffee if need be by sipping small amounts of organic coffee for one or two days. That seems like too much work so I’m likely to suffer through any side effects knowing that they will pass.

Lunch – because I was rushing this morning, I quickly threw together a salad w/ romaine, radish, orange bell peppers and cucumber. I didn’t have time to make any of the fancy dressings so I filled a small container with balsamic vinegar and called it a day. I don’t mind vinegar alone on a salad. I also knew that I had the second part of my shake and a carrot I was feeling peckish later on.

I also ran to the grocery store to grab a few last minute items over my lunch break, lentils, fresh herbs, some additional veggies for dinner sautées, and grape-seed oil. I also learned that I am permitted to have green tea – so score one in the small amount of caffeine category. This afternoon, in addition to my water, I had one cup of peppermint green tea.

It is 4:45 and I’m starting to get a little hungry but nothing that can’t wait until dinner. Keeping busy at work is certainly helping. I gather this will become increasingly more difficult on the weekends. Speaking of weekends, looming in front of me is the fact that I have to make 300 truffles/cake pops for The North Canton Gone Mad fundraiser on Saturday.

Evening – still no sign of the caffeine shakes so that is a good sign. I did notice that my patience was lacking with the kids a bit while I prepared dinner, but we managed. I prepared a lovely medley of sautéed zucchini & yellow squash along with a side of brown rice and a salad. I also whipped up the Parsley/Garlic dressing that was in the cookbook that came with the cleanse (really it was more of a leaflet). The dressing contained Parsley, garlic, olive oil and lemon. It was pretty good. I may have added too much garlic but you live and learn and brush your teeth.

I failed to pre-pack lunch again and I didn’t combine my shake ingredients (remember, I’m lazy). Instead I chose to play a few rounds of DrawSomething, Scramble and Words With Friends until my husband came home. Tomorrow is another day for such planning.

A lazy person’s journey through the Standard Process Cleanse

I am lazy. There, I said it. Admission is the first step, right? So when my sister-in-law sent me a text message asking if I was interested in doing the Standard Process 21-day cleanse followed up with a message about attending a Fish Fry as one of her last binge meals I responded, “Yes to the Fish Fry. No to the cleanse.” I was able to come up with several additional reasons not to do the cleanse, but mainly just that it seemed like a lot of work and I just wasn’t up to such commitment and abstention, especially during Fish Fry Season (aka Lent). Sense the irony in reason one?

Reason 2:  I am a caffeine, nay coffee junky. I drink coffee from the moment I walk into the office until around 3:30 pm. I am not a coffee snob; I drink what is made available to me. This includes the pre-packaged Maxwell House that is brewed in our office. I actually think the low level of caffeine in the office blend is what gives me the ability to drink coffee all day long. Coffee and caffeine are not permitted on the cleanse.

Reason3: I really love food. I love eating food. Sometimes I enjoy cooking food. I am not a food snob; I can eat a strawberry pop tart with as much gumption as I can blackened scallops over Gouda risotto. I understand the concept of calories, fats, healthy fats, etc. I also understand the concept that exercise is probably a good idea, but as I said before, I’m lazy. Damn you America and your convenience foods and television sets (kidding – I take accountability for my food intake).

Kidding aside – I care about my health and I want my kids to see me making healthy decisions. That is why I sneak away into the kitchen or bedroom so they can’t see me secretly eating their Halloween candy. I really want to live in a house where my kids automatically reach for an apple instead of opening the pantry door looking for crap. I want my kids to be healthy and active and not couch potatoes who look like potatoes. A friend of mine, who is a teacher, often says just before a break or summer vacation, “I can do anything for XX days” and the countdown begins. So I made the commitment. I would begin the cleanse AFTER Easter (I’m not passing up on ham) and I CAN do anything for 21 days.

This is my journey on the Standard Process 21 Day Cleanse. I will try to update daily (who am I kidding—weekly) on how I'm feeling, lessons I learn, if my caffeine withdrawal has caused me to inflict bodily harm on anyone, and maybe even a few recipes I prepare along the way.

And here is the plug—you can learn more about or purchase the Standard Process Cleanse from my brother-in-law Dr. Brandon Blood at The Neck and Back Center in Canton, Ohio.

Dirty—Well Clean Little Secrets

I'm going to let you in on a secret today. This is a secret, that for some reason, people are afraid to admit and I'm not sure why. But let me begin with a back story...

Since going back to work full time a little over a year ago, I've often had a hard time balancing everything in my life. I went from the type of person who uploaded photos off of the camera once a week to the type of person who has to put together a quarterly Facebook photo album update. If it wasn't for text messages and instagram, my family would rarely see photos of my kids. And the scrapbook—don't even get me started on the scrapbook. Laundry is only done on the weekends and ironing happens in the morning and is on an as-needed basis. I have a file box containing unopened bank statements, pay stubs and miscellaneous paperwork marked "to be filed" (anyone see the irony here). I cancelled my subscription to People magazine because I couldn't even keep up with my celebrity gossip. Most of these "sacrifices" are minimal and if they mean spending more time with my family after work, then so be it. But as the title of this blog states, my life is about finding balance. And finding balance means crying "uncle" when it is necessary. 


I started to wonder how my friends managed their lives, their kids, their households...and so I asked. And I asked. And I asked. The answer was surprising and almost unanimous - "I have a cleaning lady" (and I say cleaning lady not in a sexest way, I am being literal, each person who I asked has a woman who does the cleaning). How did I not know that all of my friends used a cleaning service? Here I am wallowing in my own swill and layers of dust feeling envious of all of my friends and their dust-free homes! Now let's get serious, I'm not talking about Mr. Belvedere or Tony Macelli (I'm dating myself here), I'm talking about  a person who comes to the house every other week just to give it that extra boost. It isn't an extravagance, it is called keeping my sanity. Yes, I still do my own laundry (on the weekends), and I still iron in the morning (on an as-needed basis but I am seriously considering farming this chore out in the near future), but instead of scrubbing baseboards and dusting mantles on the weekends, I'm playing with my kids and catching up on celebrity gossip, you know, the important things in life.

SO there you have it, my seceret to a clean house.

Dark Chocolate Almond Cake Batter Truffles

So I had a little shindig a few weeks ago. For the most part I tried to keep things simple-- veggies, dips, crackers...you know the drill. But what get-together doesn't contain a few sweets, right? A few months back I attempted the Cake Batter Truffles that have been popping up all over Pinterest. I actually tried a few variations but found success in those posted by Chef in Training. Upon my first bite of this recipe my wheels started turning and I said aloud (to myself)...you know, these would be better with white almond cake and dark chocolate. I've been known to take a few liberties in everyday cooking, but when it comes to baking I tend to stay on the straight and narrow with little deviation. So you can imagine my surprise when these little gems turned out to be, well...you will have to make them for yourself to find out.

Obligatory shot of ingredients (minus the milk)...

How I did it - cream butter and sugar, add almond extract followed by the flour, cake mix, and salt. Slowly add the milk one tablespoon at a time (usually around 3). The batter will sort of look like this...

Now the original recipe says to chill the dough before rolling but I'm impatient. So I sort of roll the truffles into roughly shaped balls on a piece of parchment and THEN I chill. This gives me time to melt the chocolate, grab a glass of water, and sample the pre-dipped dough. Let me note this as well, when I told my dad about this recipe he sort of sneered at the thought of ingesting uncooked flour (he never has shared my passion for raw dough). But I assure you that there is nothing uncooked about the flavor of the finished product. 

In previous variations I used both candy melts and the little microwaveable cups of dipping chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate (especially when paired with almond) and I saw the dark chocolate chips so I just went with what was available. I simply melted the chips in the microwave at medium power for 30 second intervals, stirring in between. I also found that I had to do a re-melt about midway through but it wasn't a big deal.  

This is also where I should note that I re-roll the chilled balls before bathing them in the chocolate. I use the old, toss it in and take it out with a fork to let the excess chocolate drip through the tines. This is also the point where I begin singing the Party Rock Anthem..."every day I'm TRUFFLEN" and I have a good laugh and think about how funny I am. But you are singing it now too so it worked. You're welcome.

I also just happened to have those pretty silver sugar sprinkles in the pantry from a cake that I made last spring. They are really sparkly and every day I'm trufflen (got ya)! Obviously you will want to chill these gems to harden the chocolate. I assure, this step is necessary. I guess this batch made 25-30 truffles, but I rolled them sort of small because I wanted them to be poppable.

Aren't they so pretty when the chocolate isn't melted and the lighting is just right? Ta-da...see the finished product. Now please, go and try your hand at this masterpiece. T-t-t-t--trufflen!

Ingredients
½ cup unsalted butter, softened

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ cups flour

1 cup white cake mix

2 teaspoons almond extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

3-4 Tablespoons milk

1 bag of dark chocolate chips (or some other melting chocolate)

Sprinkles (or a colored candy melt if you are in the mood to get fancy)

First Attempt at a Food Post: Nutella No Bakes

I've been thinking about posting a recipe for a while now but I haven't had much success in the way of documenting the process. The idea of taking pictures, stirring, and not burning anything (myself, the food, the camera) all seemed a bit daunting. But every so often the planets align and the camera just happens to be charged and within reach--and voilà a food post is born.

A friend mentioned that she was making Nutella no-bakes for a cookie exchange and immediately my mind was blown. My longstanding favorite cookie has always been the traditional no-bake; my longstanding guilty-pleasure has been a spoonful of Nutella...insert math equation...divide the square root of a few quick Google searches...find the perfect adaptation on My Fabulous Recipes and come to the realization that you have all of the ingredients in the pantry. And if your brain isn't reeling from my terrible math, get ready for an ocular assault on your other senses.

One of the best things about this recipe is that there are only two steps (well, three or four for photography sake). Step one: in a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk (it will look something like this)

Once everything is melted properly, let boil for one minute then add vanilla and Nutella. Be sure to take a few tastes of the Nutella before AND after you add it to the mixture. You want to be sure the product is up to par, or something like that. The Nutella is a finicky product when it comes to heat so my advice is to lower the burner to a simmer and whisk the Nutella until it becomes smooth. 

If the heat is too high the Nutella will seize and you will have a clump (albeit delicious) of trash. Add the oats (I used instant oats because that was what I had on hand) and combine until everything is well incorporated.

Drop teaspoon-sized blobs on to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Do everything in your power NOT to lick your fingers as you push the mixture onto the pan. Cool in the fridge for as long as you can stand it, plate and enjoy! 

This is where I have to admit that I had help in this whole process. He did a great job manning the pan, stirring while I took the photos, and he kept me honest--no tasting until it is time! These are for guests...But who can resist those brown eyes? 

Admittedly, we both enjoyed one (or two) of these delights before we shared them with the rest of the house!
 

Ingredients

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons cocoa
• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups oatmeal
• Parchment paper or waxed paper

Directions

• In a heavy saucepan bring to a boil, the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk. Let boil for 1 minute then add nutella, vanilla and oatmeal. Stir well.
• On a sheet of parchment paper (or waxed paper), drop mixture by the teaspoonfuls. Set aside until cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes.

* Recipe adapted from My Fabulous Recipes - Nutella No-Bakes

11 Interesting Things...

So my friend Liz tagged me in a fun little game of questions a few weeks ago that involved passing along and "tagging" other bloggers with a similar round of questions. I loved learning a bit more about Liz through her answers and found that we had a lot in common: limited eyesight, Phish love, influential siblings, unpleasant feelings towards Keanu Reeves... Unfortunately, Liz is really one of the only bloggers who I interact with on a regular basis (although I'm sure I could send this to the Pioneer Woman—do you think she would respond?) so this is my attempt to do justice to her fun little game, plus I really do dig these kinds of things. So first things first, I'm supposed to share 11 things about myself and then I'll answer Liz's 11 questions (and she came up with some really good ones).


Here goes...11 random facts about me:
1. The majority of our family and friends watched our wedding online—Augie (the Bacon) and I got married in Las Vegas. 
2. In high school, I marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with our band. We were nestled between Joey Lawrence (singing) and Santa. 
3. I weighed more in 9th grade than I did when I was 9 months pregnant with my kids. 
4. I used to eat instant mashed potatoes tinted with food coloring every day after school (see #3).
5. I pretend that my favorite movie is Love Story, but really it is Clueless. 
6. I was caught shoplifting Little Mermaid collectors cards (like baseball cards) from G.C. Murphy Mart...in Jr. High. 
7. One of my fondest childhood memories was playing "The Tasting Game" with my parents and siblings. My dad would blindfold us and make us taste new and different foods and we would have to guess what they were. 
8. When I was 10, I had a mullet. 
9. I can tap dance. I tapped for eight years, I still want to find an adult class. 
10. I played Mary Magdelen in my college production of Jesus Christ Superstar. 
11. I once wrote a letter to Tom Hanks and when it came back return to sender, I hid it in my closet so my siblings wouldn't make fun of me. 


So those were my 11 random facts. Now I get to answer the questions that Liz passed along to me. 


1. What is your favorite place you have visited? I don't gamble and I'm not a fan of crowds, but I will always say Las Vegas because it reminds me of my wedding.
2. If you could name only one favorite band who would it be? Simon and Garfunkel.
3. What's sitting on your nightstand right now? A journal book called Listography that gives you list topics & favorites (mostly top 10) and you get fill it in slowly as your lists progress. I like to update it once every few months as new things make it to my "lists" and Mindy Kaling's "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and other concerns) which makes me *whisper laugh* at night so I don't wake anybody up!
4. Name one tv show you love and one you can't stand. Parks and Recreation is on my LOVE list, it is one of the few shows I seek out to watch on Hulu. I cannot stand the children's show Caillou.
5. What's the most adventuresome thing you've done on your own? I'm not so much a do things on my own person. I was well into my 20s before I even went through the drive-thru by myself, I've never been to the movies on my own, I'll order room service before I dare eat alone while travelling for business...and although I wasn't totally alone when I did this, I'll have to say labor, because that was all me.
6. If you had the chance to rename yourself what name would you choose and why? I love the name Jane, I have always loved the name Jane. It is classic and timeless and lovely.
7. What is your dream job? Being paid to write my thoughts on Facebook and Twitter. I'd love to write for a television sitcom, I'm not a great writer, have no ability to develop characters or plot lines, but I'm really good with one-liners.
8. What's your favorite workout? If you don't workout what would your favorite workout be? I like classes. I find that I am most successful when I take a class (see #5). I'm starting Zumba tonight and I'm really excited.
9. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live? Vancouver, B.C. - I've never been but I've never heard a bad thing about it.
10. What do you picture yourself doing 20 years from now? Hopefully Augie (the Bacon) and I will be old and careless; wearing matching track suits, drinking coffee, travelling through space, writing our memoirs...
11. What is your favorite style of art (contemporary, surrealism, cubism, impressionism, ect.) Admittedly, I had to look up my favorite artists to figure this one out...I like Matisse and that is Fauvism, I like Dali and that is Surrealism, I also like Pop Art and Garfunkel.

So that is it! Now you know a little bit more about me. Feel free to comment, answer the above questions and pass them along to me, send me 11 random things about yourself, sit back and wish you had the last five minutes of your life back, or start your own list!