Monday Link & List Love [01.21.2013]

I have found some interesting links lately that I wanted to share:

Monday Link Love

  • The Nitrate & Nitrite Myth: Another Reason not to Fear Bacon: This article “debunks” the idea that nitrates and nitrites can cause serious health problems (cancer, heart disease). Honestly – I want to believe it; I just don’t know if I can. Apparently nitrates and nitrites are found in much higher amounts in natural foods like celery and even in our own saliva than they are in hot dogs, bacon, and other processed meats. Even if they are – aren’t they different? Wouldn’t our bodies treat “natural” (whatever that means) nitrates/nitrites differently than artificial ones? I have no idea. I’m not a food scientist but I would really like to know the truth behind processed meats. (Because I love bacon. Who doesn’t?)
  • Breaking the Cycle of Emotional Eating: Just some goods tips for leading a happy, healthy life. I especially like #5 – Unleash Your Creativity and Do Something You Love Every Single Day.
  • Homemade Lotion Recipe: I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks like it really couldn’t be simpler.
  • Slow-Cooker Squash Stew: Butternut squash, chard, and parmesan? Count me in.
  • 7 Ways You Might Be Inadvertently Sabotaging a Good Night’s Sleep: I may not always agree with him, but Mark Sisson just about always has an intelligent, well-thought-out response to just about every question or problem anyone could possibly have. In this case I do agree with him. The article is from November but particularly applicable now that I’m trying to sleep earlier. He makes good points – 1) are you getting natural light during the day? 2) are you eating too late? 6) do you have a nighttime ritual? and 7) are you simply staying up too late? –> These 4 all right true for me.
  • Vow to Get More Sleep in 2013: Another sleep article. Tips include 3) turn the heat down, 4) unplug (what I should be doing now!), 5) meditate, 6) do yoga (OK!), and 7) stop puttering! (That means no chores after 9pm, yes I am talking to you my fellow type A’s.)

And I also just wanted to share some other random things…

Monday List Love

  • Wanted to share this pic of dinner the other night. I was out of the city all day Saturday and when I got home, Bobby had prepared this beautiful meal! It’s a salad with hard boiled egg, bacon, onion, and homemade dressing. I had no idea he could cook – he totally outdid himself. He also made butternut squash ravioli (from TJ’s) with sauteed veggies and he cooked up a cheesy mushroom flatbread (also courtesy of TJ’s). The salad is served in a really beautiful dish from my mom.
    bobby-dinner-salad-ravioli-wine
  • Bobby used this salad recipe for the dinner salad and dressing. It was supposed to be spinach but I prefer romaine as a salad base.

That’s all I have… I’m off to do some reading and relax before I go to sleep (early). Hope your week is off to a good start.

Gnocchi Hash Browns – Breakfast Recipe

A new breakfast gnocchi recipe, straight from my Italian kitchen

Gnocchi Hash Browns Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked Gnocchi
  • 1/2 cup chopped onions
  • Dash of olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • (Optional – ketchup or maple syrup)

Directions

  1. Saute onions in olive oil for 1 minute.
  2. Add the gnocchi. Stir until crispy and slightly brown. (Very important!)
  3. Serve with salt and pepper and a bit of ketchup OR maple syrup.

Make sure you saute the Gnocchi for long enough (at least 3 – 4 minutes), otherwise they will be mushy!

How to Make Tortellini – Italy Day 4

Today we were supposed to go to Mestre, but the alarm didn’t go off, the blinds were closed, and we slept until 3.00p. Instead we shopped around Spinea, and Bobby got me a present: beautiful Italian boots.

For dinner I made tortellini:

How to Make Tortellini

Ingredients

  • 1 package of tortellini
  • 1/2 cup of pasta sauce
  • dash of olive oil
  • (optional – sauteed onions)

Directions

  1. Boil water for the tortellini.
  2. Heat pasta sauce in a saucepan with oil; stir. (If you want, you can saute onions in the pan before adding the sauce.)
  3. Drop tortellini in boiling water for about a minute.
  4. Drain tortellini and add them to the sauce; mix together and serve.

For dessert we had a “Kinder Sorpresa”, a little chocolate egg that comes with a toy inside.


Our toy is some sort of space creature that resembles a tadpole…


It can also stick to fabric.

Scrambled Eggs Recipe | Gnocchi Recipe | Travel Food on a Budget | Fruit Yogurt Breakfast

Today’s post is dedicated to eating affordably while on vacation. My main suggestion: make your own food as often as possible. For breakfast I had fruit and yogurt; I also made eggs, some type of sausage, and bread for Bobby. So here is my scrambled eggs recipe, my Italian gnocchi recipe, a fruit and yogurt breakfast, and tips for travel food on a budget.

Quick and Easy Scrambled Eggs Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • chopped onions
  • a dash of olive oil

Directions

  1. Saute onions in olive oil for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Beat eggs in a bowl; add to sauteed onions.
  3. Use a spatula to mix the eggs slowly until finished.

Fruit salad with yogurt

Ingredients

  • Chopped apple
  • Chopped banana
  • Chopped orange
  • Flavored yogurt

Travel Food on  Budget – Dinner Ideas

For dinner we ate in again and I cooked pasta – gnocchi, to be exact. They came out a little bit mushy, but I think I can fix that by cooking for a bit less. We also had the same salad that we had last night (with grated Parmesan) and my Brussels sprouts, apples, and onions recipe.

How to Make Gnocchi

Ingredients

  • Gnocchi pasta
  • Spaghetti sauce
  • Olive oil

Directions

  1. Heat the spaghetti sauce in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Stir until warmed through.
  2. Boil water and add gnocchi. As soon as they float, remove them from the water. Don’t wait for all of them to float; remove the floating ones as soon as possible.
  3. Mix sauce and pasta together.

There were also fresh rolls from the supermercato. And for dessert: more fresh fruit.

Tomorrow we’re off to Venezia, where we will most likely have to spend exorbitant amounts of Euros for food. But I’m excited to visit some churches, maybe museums, markets, and shop.