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Showing posts from March, 2014

Fruit Infused Water

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On the Internet I have seen many people put fruit slices in their water. At first, I was weary to try this because I thought the fruit wouldn't actually flavor the water, but it did! The first time I made fruit infused water I used oranges. I cut some slices of orange and put them in a bottle of cold water. The longer the fruit remains in the bottle, the stronger the fruit taste. A few weeks ago I made fruit water using oranges and strawberries. It was delicious!  This fruit infused water can be a healthier alternative for sweet drinks. Try replacing your juice, iced tea or soda with a bottle of fruit infused water. There are many fruits that you can choose, so the combinations are endless! My favorites are oranges + blueberries and raspberries + lemons. Strawberries + Oranges - Infused fruit water

Mini Strawberry Pies

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An easy dessert recipe that I find ridiculously delicious is mini strawberry pies.  These pies are sweet, easy to make and they last for an entire week. I was at the store looking for a dessert that would last me an entire week. I didn't want to buy cookies or candy. I was looking in the produce section when I came across the strawberries. Here are the ingredients that I used: - 1 8 oz. container of light cream cheese (not whipped) - 1 package of pie crusts (the one I buy has 2 pie crusts) - 1 package of fresh strawberries - honey Directions: 1. Preheat the oven (follow the preheating instructions on your pie crust package). 2. Unroll the pie crusts and place them on a baking sheet or pizza pan. 3. Wash and cut the strawberries into small pieces. 4. Use a round object to make small circles out of the dough (I use the bottom of a steel water bottle). 5. After making as many circles as you can, put about a teaspoon of cream cheese on half of the dough pieces. 6. Top t

Vegetables

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Are you looking for a healthy side dish to go with your meal? I like to saute vegetables. This makes a quick and tasty side dish. Here are the ingredients that I use: - A little vegetable oil to put in the bottom of the pan - 2 small zucchinis - 1 banana squash - 2 whole carrots - 1 baby bok choy - a few dashes of lemon pepper seasoning - a few dashes of Italian seasoning  - 2 dashes of seasoning salt, for flavor I chop all of the vegetables up, and heat the oil. I put the vegetables in the pan, and a few minutes later I add the seasonings. I cook it for about 7 or 8 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and moist. All of the veggies in the pan The seasonings The final result!

Avocado Egg Tomato Sandwich

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Lately I have been trying to eat healthier foods. It can be hard to find something healthy that tastes really good for lunch!  My new favorite sandwich is an Avocado Egg Tomato Sandwich!  Here are the ingredients I use: - 1 egg - I use a fry pan to make the egg over hard so that the yolk is broken and fully cooked.  - 2 pieces of whole grain bread, toasted - Mayo and ketchup to spread on bread - 1 slice american cheese  - Sliced avocado  - Sliced tomato  And there you have it! A healthy and tasty sandwich for lunch or dinner!   

Cauliflower Pizza Crusts

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Are you looking for a healthier pizza? Well, cauliflower can be used to make a healthy pizza crust. I found this idea on Pinterest and I had to try it out myself. Surprisingly, the cauliflower makes the pizzas very flavorful and delicious. The final result! This is the recipe I used to make the mini pizzas. Ingredients: - 1 large head cauliflower (about 4 cups shredded) - make sure you have enough cauliflower to make this recipe. I did not have a full head of it in the fridge, so I had to rummage through my freezer to find pieces of frozen cauliflower.  - 2 eggs  - 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese - 1 teaspoo

Healthy Dessert: Frozen Greek Yogurt Cone

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This semester my sister and I have been trying to eat healthier. This can be hard, especially since we are college students, meaning we don't have a lot of time to make food, and we want cheaper ingredients. I was trying to find a healthy dessert to eat after dinner, so I browsed Pinterest and came up with frozen Greek yogurt in an ice cream cone! Here are the ingredients: - Keebler ice cream cones - or any brand of cones - Greek yogurt - I like freezing it so that it tastes more like ice cream - Frozen fruit - I use strawberries, peaches, mango and blueberries - Granola to sprinkle on the top And there you have it! A relatively healthy dessert made with simple ingredients! Marie Healthy dessert cone

Red Velvet Cake: It's important to double check measurements

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This past summer I really wanted to bake a cake. I only had a few hours, so I decided to buy one of those cakes you make from a box. It was a Red Velvet Cake with cream cheese frosting. The cake portion of the cake turned out fine. It was fluffy, red cake. The part that I made wrong was the cream cheese frosting mix. The recipe called for 1/2 cup butter. I misread the box, and I put 1   1/2 cups of butter. Needless to say, the frosting was very buttery, very greasy. When I put it on top of the cake, it soaked through the entire cake very quickly. It made the cake soggy and greasy. It did not taste very good. The longer that the cake sat on the counter top, it became soggier. What I learned: It is important to read the directions carefully, no matter what you are making! The cake portion would have tasted fine, but the frosting ruined the cake. In the future, I am going to make sure I double check the directions, measurements and the ingredients. This cake will taste really good if

Weird But So Good: Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwich

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Have you ever heard of a Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwich?? If not, you are not alone! I told my sister and my parents about this sandwich idea and they thought I was crazy. It sounds weird, but it is very delicious. It is the perfect combination of sweet, salty, tangy and juicy. I got the idea from Pinterest, when I came across Joy the Baker. She has her own website and pin boards, and I came across the Peanut Butter Pickle Sandwich. Ingredients: - Any type of bread (toasted) - I used a seedy bread with hazelnut pieces - A handful of pickles - I think bread and butter pickles will taste the best - Peanut butter - I used Justin's natural peanut butter - Maple syrup - I put a little maple syrup inside, on top of the pickles Image from joythebaker.com I hope you find this sandwich as tasty as I did! It might sound weird at first, but it is delicious! Click here to see Joy the Baker's recipe . Marie

First Post

Hello! Welcome to Chef Marie: Baking and Cooking! If you are reading this it is because you have stumbled upon my blog all about food! The name Chef Marie came from my sister, because I love to cook for my family. This is my first post, and I thought I would give you a little information about me. Currently, I am a senior journalism major at the University of Northern Colorado. I am in my last semester at UNC before I venture into the workplace! I am studying journalism, with a focus on public relations and advertising media, and I have a Spanish minor. After I graduate from UNC, I hope to get a job at a local public relations firm in Denver, Colorado. In my spare time I love to cook, bake, listen to music, read and write. This semester, since my class load has lightened up a bit, I have been trying out new recipes, cooking for my twin and me. I believe that one of the happiest places is the kitchen, in which I can create tasty dishes. I love searching Pinterest to find new recip