cooking ala mel

healthy recipes and the occasional craft

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PB&J Green Smoothie

Yesterday, we had a crazy blizzard here in Buffalo, which means I had ample time to bake the day away, do laundry, cuddle kitties, and do some packing.  It actually thundered while it snowed.  How awesome is that?!  Needless to say, I can’t wait to get to the 70-80 degree weather in Vegas this weekend!

And now, to this delicious smoothie!  I’ve been trying to eat extra healthy this week because I know I’m not going to be that good next week; it is a vacation, after all!  This smoothie fit that bill perfectly – simple, healthy ingredients.  Super refreshing.  I drank it as my post-workout all week.  🙂 [Read more…]

Healthier Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

I’ve felt a little bit crazy lately with studying for a big exam and getting ready for spring break.  On Friday, Alex and I will be off to Las Vegas for a week.  After his first trip out there in the fall for a conference, he has been determined to get me to go; he keeps telling me it’s a place you need to travel to at least once in your life.  At first, I wasn’t too into it, but I’ll admit, I’ve been getting pretty excited over the past week!  If anyone has any recommendations of things to do, places to eat at, etc., I would love to hear it!

The only thing I’m a bit nervous about is leaving the kitties for a whole week.  Since we’ve had kitties, I think I’ve been without them for a couple of days at most, but I was never very far away.  They’re staying with Alex’s grandparents, who are so excited to have them, so I know they’ll be well looked after and loved while we’re gone, but still, they’re my babies!  😉

Of course, when you’re busy and have some worries in the back of your mind constantly, what is better than mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food?!  Mac and cheese is definitely my go-to dinner when I am exhausted and have absolutely no idea what to cook, and it’s something that Alex always agrees to eating happily.  I usually make my standard mac and cheese (the all-time favorite recipe on this blog), with the main changes being different cheeses or veggies.  I decided to be a bit different this time around. [Read more…]

Chocolate Mousse Pie

My birthday was last week.  Because I’m a Leap Year baby, I celebrate on both the 28th and the 1st, since nobody really knows which day to celebrate, which is totally okay with me! 🙂  I spent my day on Friday in the compounding lab as a teaching assistant teaching the class below me how to make cocoa butter suppositories.. that was a long day.  The rest of my birthday needed to be more relaxing, so it was perfect that I had this pie and a bottle of my favorite wine ready for me in the fridge when I got home!

I like nothing better than making my own birthday dessert; it’s a guarantee that I’ll get exactly what I want, and it soothes me in the process of making it!  I’ve been wanting to make chocolate mousse for a while, so this was the perfect excuse.  Of course, I had to fancy it up a bit, so I made it into a pie! [Read more…]