Carissa and I just sent Christmas cards to our friends and family to let them know about our new bundle of joy, so keep a look out for that card. We actually made those cards ourselves by hand.

That’s where our new “addition” comes in. His name is Claude.  He’s 5 1/2 feet tall, has a 6 x 4 ft base, and he weighs 3,500 pounds. Claude is a Kluge 12 x 18 letterpress machine made completely out of cast iron. He’s our pride and joy. Here are some pictures of him. (Thank you, Lindsey Brittan, for some amazing pictures! You can find her work at  lindseysheaphotography.com)

Isn’t he cute?

Carissa and I started our own business called Method Letterpress. We make handmade and custom designed Holiday cards, Business cards, and Stationary. We also create  ~ Wedding Invitations ~ Thank You cards  ~ Save the Date cards  ~Baby Announcements ~Wine & Beer Labels ~ “We’re Moving” cards ~ Mommy cards ~ Restaurant Menus … We even have a Card of the Month Club on our website (MethodLetterpress.com) to give as a gift, and includes 5 new custom designed and small-run cards every month.

So you are probably wondering what “Letterpress” is.  Well, have you ever received a really nice Wedding Invitation or business card, the kind that you hold on to just because it is beautiful and stunning and the paper is so nice and thick? The kind of card where you can feel the impression in the paper? That was probably a letterpressed card. Letterpress is an hands-on art form where each card is made individually and manually, where each color and design is added individually, and where no computers, digital scanners, or shortcuts are used. Each card can be personalized for you and is one of a kind work of art. There are endless possibilities for color, design, size, paper stock, envelopes, and edging.

Here are a few pictures of some of our recent creations:

Carissa received her Bachelors in Fine Arts and Printmaking from the University of North Texas,  studied Printmaking and Book binding at the University of South Dakota, Vermillion, and worked for 3 years at a high-end letterpress printing shop in the arts district in Dallas, so she is very experienced in design, production, and execution.

Visit MethodLetterpress.com today to view our holiday cards or to place a custom order. Also, please give our website to someone you know who needs our help. We are so thankful for your help!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Phillip and Carissa Bleecker

MethodLetterpress.com

This is honestly some of the best tasting salsa guacamole you will ever have.  It is so easy and quick to make that it can be a perfect appetizer, even for the most rushed of dinners. Try it with blue tortilla chips.

To make the Salsa, you will need:

* 1   28 oz can of whole tomatoes (we prefer Muir Glen fire roasted!)

* 1 Jalepeno, diced (If you like spicy, leave the seeds in. If not, remove them. You’ve been warned.)

* 1 Red Onion, skin removed and chopped

* 2 – 3 Tablespoons Cilantro, rough chopped

* Juice of 2 Limes

* Salt to taste

* A Blender

Put all the ingredients in the blender and pulse until the mixture is fully blended. (About 45 seconds to 1 1/2 minutes, depending on your blender). Repeat with remaining ingredients if necessary. Add salt and lime to taste. You can also add cayenne pepper if you want some more heat.

Serve immediately. Refrigerate up to 4 days.

To make the Guacamole:

* 4 Avocados, peeled

* 1/2 Cup of Salsa

* Juice of 1 Lime (start with half of the juice, taste, and add the rest if you prefer)

* Dash of cummin

* Salt to taste

So how do you peel the avocados? An easy tip for getting the huge seed out of the avocado is to use a larger sharp knife to penetrate the seed, then turn the knife clockwise (which will loosen the seed), then discard the seed. Be VERY careful not to penetrate your hand with the knife. This can be tricky, so if you are unsure, use a spoon to ladle the seed out.

Add the salsa to the avocados, then add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend well until creamy and rich, about 1 minute. Serve immediately. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 4 days.

“I could eat pasta, or I can substitute brown rice…” “We can have a side of potatoes/mac n’ cheese/fried ocra, or we can have vegetables…” “How can I get my spouse/children to WANT to eat healthy foods?”

Believe me, I understand the lure of cheesy, greasy, fatty, sugary, high-carb, deep fried foods.  They taste great, they are usually very easy to make, they are cheap, and no one complains.  But think about it – this is your body we are talking about.  Do you really want to say, “I want to fill my body with the cheapest, easiest foods out there?”  When you are looking for a car, do you say, “I want the cheapest car I can find”?  No, you want QUALITY. The same goes with a house.  The same goes with all of your priorities in your life.  The same should go with your body. You want what is best for you and you want to be a good steward with your body.

That’s why this past month, Carissa and I made some decisions.  We decided that we were going to eat only good, healthy food.  We were going to try to make it affordable and fun,  while exploring some new main courses and side dishes that we have never tried before.  The results have been amazing.  Not only did we have some great food and find some wonderful recipes, but we also lost weight, feel better physically, have more energy, and are incorporating the lessons and recipes we learned into our lives on a permanent basis. And I wanted to share some of those recipes with you all.

So, recipe # 1 – Roasted Bell Peppers stuffed with dirty rice, basil, wedge tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

Step 1: Boil your rice according to the instructions.  We just got some organic brown rice and made 2 cups (we made a lot of rice because we knew it was going to be our dinner for the week).  Mine called for some butter.

Step 2:  While the rice is boiling, hull out the inside of 2 Bell Peppers. It’s simple-just be very careful while doing this so you do not cut yourself! Slide a knife into the Bell Pepper and cut around the top stem.  Throw the stem away.  Then cut out a wider hole in the top in order to pull out the innards-seeds, etc…  Throw all the innards away.

Also, you want to pick out Bell Peppers that have somewhat level and proportionate bottoms to them.  They will need to be able to “stand up” on their own.  This is important in the oven, because you don’t want them to fall over and scatter ingredients all over your oven.

Step 3:  Mince a teaspoon of Basil leaves and remaining Bell Pepper.

Step 4:  Cut up some vine fresh tomatoes.  Dice them, wedge them, mince them, whatever…  Just make them bite-sized.

Step 5:  Check on your rice.  Be sure to keep an eye on your rice this whole time.  It will require some stirring in order to avoid burning. Once all the water has boiled off and the rice is tender, take the rice off the heat.

Step 6:  Pre-heat your oven to 275 degrees.  Stuff the Bell Peppers with layers of rice, chopped Basil, tomatoes, mozzarella, and small drizzled amounts of Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil.  You can also add a little Salt and Pepper to taste.  They should look like this.

Step 7:  Leave the Bell Peppers in the oven until the entire Pepper has been cooked through and the contents are also hot (about 25-35 minutes).  Stuffing the Bell Peppers means it will take longer for them to cook.

Step 8:  They should look something like this.  Enjoy!

Leave your comments and let us know if you tried this recipe and what you think about it!

Healthkick Nutrition Center    (972) 874-8477

Have you been looking to get your food-choices and eating habits into shape?  I’m not talking about a diet, but  practical and healthy lifestyle changes.   Go no further than HealthKick.

Carissa and I decided that we were going to try an experiment for the month of September – we were going to eat only fruits, vegetables, and raw nuts for the entire month.  Of course we cheated here and there (the Likens’ saw us cheat a few times with our food choices), but the experience has been an informative one.

In order to pull this off, we needed some help and advice, so we went to HealthKick in Flower Mound, got some great protein powder, a recovery drink mix, and then went to Sprouts for the rest of our stuff.

HealthKick is one of our favorite places for a few simple reasons:

1. We know the owners.  Support local businesses that have integrity, high-standards, and absolutely love what they do.  And because we know the owners, we trust that when they give us advice, it is the best advice for us.  When they suggest products, we know they are not trying to make a quick buck off of us because they know we will be coming back.

2. They only carry the best stuff.  The best vitamins, cleanses, protein powders, protein bars, and supplements, with organic and herbal options as well.

3. They know everything about their products. And I mean everything.  Do you have allergies? Do you have special dietary needs?  Are you looking to bulk up or slim down? Need some help with your immune system?  They know what do do, and what’s more, they have the best products to get to you right there in the store.

Oh, and by the way, they will match any competitors price out there, so you know you are getting the most for your money.

They have Ready-To-Go stuff in the cooler for you as well.  All of the best and healthiest products out there are in this cooler.  They even have stuff your kids will like!

These guys are fanatical about fitness, health, eating right, and putting the best stuff in our bodies.  They can help everyone, from the guy who has never eaten right or worked out in his life, to the healthiest person you know.

Get into HealthKick today, and start looking, feeling, eating, drinking, and living better.

Carissa and I made it because we bought the best stuff from the best shop around.  And now we feel so much better, honestly. We will be posting some of our favorite recipes from the month of September on the site, but make HealthKick your first stop.  You won’t be sorry.

Omelet

Ok, so we are putting out recipes that are pretty easy and practical, recipes anyone can make. We here at Revenge of the Calories want to build your arsenal of easy, good, and healthy recipes.

One of the recipes you need to have in your hip pocket is an omelet.  When making omelets, only use the freshest ingredients: fresh tomatoes, cage free organic eggs, turkey bacon, and the best cheese (Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese).

Ingredients

What you need

• 3 Strips of Turkey Bacon
• 1/2 Cup of grated Cheddar Cheese
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil (there is also a calorie-free Olive Oil spray out there!)
• 1 Tomato
• 6 Eggs
• 1/4 cup of milk

How to make it

1. Cook the bacon: You always want to start with the bacon here. Why? Because all of the little bits and cooked remnants are great additives to the eggs, adding flavor and texture to your omelet. However, if you are using regular pig bacon, be sure to wipe out the majority of the grease with a thick wad of paper towels after the bacon is cooked and before you add the eggs. Let the grease cool for a few minutes before you attempt to wipe it out, and keep the paper towel away from the oven/stove top to avoid injuring while wiping out the pan.  And really consider using turkey bacon here, but only the best.  Really good turkey bacon is amazing for two reasons – first, it is a healthier choice, and  second, it can taste almost identical to regular bacon.  Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until it is crispy and beginning to brown (about 5-8 mins, depending on your stove), but be careful to not overcook the bacon. You can always throw it back on the skillet to cook more, but you can’t take the burn out of bacon once it gets in there. Flip the bacon strips and cook the other side until crispy (3-5 mins).

2. While the bacon is cooking, whisk the eggs in a medium-sized bowl until fully combined (about 2 minutes of continual whisking). Slowly add milk to the eggs while whisking. Set combined eggs to the side.

3. Once you flip the bacon, dice tomato into 1/4 inch chunks.  You can core and de-seed if you want, or just remove the interior stem. Set diced bacon to the side.  Also, grate Cheddar cheese.

4. Once the bacon is done, set on a prepared plate with paper towels laid on the plate to absorb any remaining grease.  If using turkey bacon, add 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil to prepare the pan. Heat for 1 minute over medium, or until Olive Oil shimmers, spreads quickly over the pan, and begins to smoke slightly. If using pig bacon, follow the process above to eliminate grease, and add 1/2 to 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil.

5. Make sure you lower the temperature of the pan to medium heat. Add the combined egg mixture to pan. Use a hardened pan-safe spatula to scrape down the edges of the pan and make sure the mixture cooks evenly.  Continue to scrape and swirl excess uncooked eggs onto the bottom cooking-surface of the pan.  Use a spatula to ensure the egg mixture doesn’t stick to the surface; add additional Oil if needed.

6. You now have 2 options to make sure the eggs are good thoroughly. First option is to  flip the omelet (with a spatula or with a quick wrist-jerk). If you are a novice in the kitchen, consider using the second option. Second option is to cover the mixture with a lid, lower the temperature, and cook for 2-4 mins, adding 2 Tablespoons of water to help steam the eggs.

7. Once the egg is almost ready, add bacon (chopped), tomatoes, cheese, and salt and pepper to taste.  It sounds complicated, but this is a really easy and great recipe.  It is fast and good for a healthy morning breakfast.

Enjoy, and as always, leave your comments, ideas, and suggestions.  Carissa and I have been eating all vegetables, fruit, and nuts for the month of September, so we will be posting some good ideas soon on how to eat great food and healthy food.

The one thing I really need to make a great meal is inspiration, something that really gets my creative juices flowing. A big part of my lack of blogging in the past months has been my utter lack of inspiration. I have fallen back to old favorites, that I have already blogged, while desperately searching for something to inspire me. Have you been here before? I think we all have. So in the interest of inspiring you as well as me, I’m going to share with you some of my favorite places to look for recipes, ideas, and ingredients.

One of my best resources is this cookbook.

It’s absolutely brilliant. The cooks behind this book test each recipe  extensively, They test ingredients as well as methods.  It gives you a baseline of understanding for how to cook. It teaches you the basics through delicious food. It also has an index of the best ingredients to use and the best equipment.

Blogs are another place I look for inspiration.

Have you ever been to http://www.tastespotting.com/ ? This website always makes my mouth water. It’s a beautiful culmination of many different blogs and their great recipes.

Anytime i’m in the mood for comfort food or butter, I go straight to http://thepioneerwoman.com/ . I love her approach to food. It’s brash, honest, and unapologetic.

Restaurants. I always like to try new things at restaurants, even if the place is an old favorite. You never know when you’ll find an new dish that you would love to know how to make. I know that Phillip is eating something really delicious when I see him get mad while chewing.  He gets mad if he’s eating something that is incredibly delicious that he doesn’t have any idea how to make it-of course he’s not really mad, but he does want to know how to make it! When we have that kind of a dish at a restaurant we go back often to see if we can figure out what’s in that amazing food.  Currently, the bruchetta appetizer at Bolsa and the Tomato Bisque at Hattie’s have our attention.

Grocery Stores. I don’t mean any old grocery store either. Places like Whole Foods and Central Market are perfect. I especially love when Central Market has samples. The other day I had a sample with Ice cream, grilled peaches, and apricot preserves. Delicious! When I am in a grocery store I will often times find an ingredient that I haven’t ever used before, but want to explore. Just this week I came across passion fruit at Central Market. I have to admit that I have been searching for anything with passion fruit in it since I had it in Hawaii last year. I am so excited to see what I can do with it. This morning it’s going to look like strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and passion fruit parfaits. Yum!

I hope that this helps you to inspire you to explore food in new and different ways this coming week. Phillip and I are starting a month of only fruit, nuts, and veggies. It should be interesting and produce some new recipes that we will share. We have already had the pleasure of eating some great gazpacho and sauteed peaches in mango nectar.

Happy Cooking!

What you need:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup molasses

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cloves or all spice

1/4 tsp salt

1. Cream sugar and butter.

This may take a while, so be patient and get that cream and sugar well combined. This is the best foundation for a good cookie!

2. Add Molasses and Egg and combine.

3. Add dry ingredients and combine.

4. After all of the ingredients are well combined (the dough should be really holding together), take the dough and mold into small balls and roll in sugar to coat them.

5. Assemble the sugary dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. Keep an eye on these while they’re baking. In my oven they took more like 20 min to cook, but my cookies were pretty thick.

6. These babies are ready to eat just as soon as they come out of the oven. They are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. They were so good that I forgot to take a picture of them before they were half gone!

Ingredients:

Rigatoni Pasta 1lb

1 can Hunts Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes

1 package Panchetta

1 1/2 lbs of Chicken Tenders

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Dijon Mustard

Olive oil

Chicken Stock

Drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of Olive oil in the bottom of a skillet and turn heat to med-high. Once heated, place all of the chicken in the skillet and cook for about a minute. Then pour enough chicken stock into cover the chicken and cover with a lid. Turn heat down to medium. You can also use water for this or any combo of water and chicken stock. I personally like the added flavor that the chicken stock gives. The chicken should take about 10 min to cook, but keep a good eye on it and flip periodically. It may take longer or shorter periods of time to cook the chicken depending on thickness of it.

Once you have the chicken cooking start to boil the water for the pasta. Cook the pasta and then drain. Try to time the pasta and chicken being done at almost the same time, so that everything is still hot when you are ready to serve.

Once the chicken is cooked, take it out of the skillet, place on a cutting board and dice, then transfer to a bowl and add mustard. I have no measured amount to tell you here other than be sparing. Stone ground mustard is very potent, so take is slow and taste as you go.

Drain the liquid out of the skillet and begin to fry the panchetta on high heat. This shouldn’t take long and remember that it’s cured meat, so it doesn’t have to be fried to a crisp to be safe to eat.

Once the panchetta is cooked, chop it up and put in the same bowl as the chicken, then add the already drained can of tomatoes. Stir together. Place pasta on a plate and put chicken mixture on top. Then grate the parmesan cheese on top.

I hope you are able to follow the haphazard recipe I came up with. Happy Cooking!

My brother recently told me that we should do a review on La Duni. He said it is well worth the drive – the Migas are especially good, he said.  I had been to La Duni years ago for a brunch after I attended an Easter Sunday service downtown with a friend.  I remembered it being a really nice but laid back place in a good location and with great food. So Carissa and I bundled into the car for the Saturday morning drive to go see what La Duni had to offer.

La Duni on McKinney Ave is a little difficult to find,  but you can tell you are in the right place because you will see a valet in front with a guy busily parking the cars of all the people flooding in. There is a sign in the parking lot, but not on the building, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled. You walk in and instantly love the place.  There are candles and wine racks everywhere, glass lanterns and flowers scattered throughout, and an ample supply of wooden tables and chairs.

They make cakes as well – huge beautiful cakes, ornate cakes, birthday cakes, wedding cakes, chocolate and vanilla cakes, Tres Leche cakes, award winning cakes…They can do it all.

Their booths are really comfy as well.  It definitely has a Latin flair: from the music, to the rich interior colors, to the casually beautiful patio, this place has a unique feeling all it’s own.

If you get there early enough (or late enough), you have to try the patio. The atmosphere is beautiful, with all the white linen, the huge yellow umbrellas and yellow awning, ivy growing on the walls, and plants everywhere…it feels intimate enough to have a romantic meal but comfortable enough to have a relaxed evening.

The servers are very good and attentive. Our waiter was helpful with suggestions, kept our table very clean, and kept our coffee cups warm and full also.  They have a good mixed drink and wine selection.

Carissa and I both ordered specialty coffee – Carissa wanted the Cafe Au’ lait and I ordered the caramel Cappuccino.

Both were really well made and flavorful. After I finished the cappuccino, I ordered black coffee.  The only criticism I have of La Duni concerns their coffee and espresso.  They serve Lavazza coffee, and those beans just does not suite my palate -  I have heard a few others say they don’t prefer the coffee, and others say they really like it.  It must just be a preference issue.  The first espresso I ordered was very bitter, had no sweet froth on the top, and was brewed incorrectly.  The waiter knew something was wrong and offered to get me another free of charge, which was very kind.  The properly brewed espresso was better, but not great.

The coffee was better, especially on my second visit. Lavazza coffee is definitely an acquired taste. When I was in Italy two years ago, I loved the Lavazza coffee and espresso there. Something must get lost in translation because I have tried it several times in the States and it just tastes like packaged coffee. Maybe I’m just being too much of a coffee snob, but I think La Duni could avoid this by offering a wider range of coffees to appeal to a wider coffee audience. But on the positive side, it made the table look cool…

I got the Migas.  They were incredible.  And I mean incredible.  Handmade homemade red and green salsas over scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, crispy tortilla strips, along with fresh hot soft tortillas. The potatoes are the single best collection of crispy potatoes I have ever had.  And I am serious about that.  They are crispy, flavorful, hot, with a little spice on top.  You have to try them.

Carissa got the cinnamon walnut French toast.  It was rich, tasty, sweet, and oh-so-good.

We topped our calorie-laden breakfast off with a banana split with ice cream, caramel sauce, and walnuts. It was so worth it.

We definitely suggest you go to La Duni.  It has one of the best breakfasts in Dallas, and we intend to go back to review their dinner.  If their dinners are anywhere near as good as their breakfast (and their menu looked like they were), then I can’t wait for dinner there!

Try it out and let us know what you think.

Cook one package (16oz) of Fusilli pasta until al dente. (Undercook very slightly; pasta will continue to soften in salad.)

In large bowl make dressing. Wisk together:

1T Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic pressed (either mince or put through a garlic press)

3 T balsamic vinegar

salt and black pepper to taste

4T olive oil

Add to pasta and coat.

Add after you have diced all:

Blanched or raw broccoli

Cherry tomatoes cut in half

Kielbasa sausage

Carrots

Cucumbers

Bell peppers

Stir together and refrigerate!

Finished Pasta