Andie Mitchell's Blog, page 47

Get Healthy with #AndieGina2016

Happy Sunday, friends!

Today I’m thrilled to tell you about a new partnership I’m doing with Gina Homolka from Skinnytaste.com! I have a pretty good feeling that you know who Gina is, because she’s just an outright internet queen and let me tell you, that title is so deserved. Gina is, to put it simply, one of a kind. She’s thoughtful, sincere, kind, and so positive that I can’t help but feel a boost in my mood when I’m around her. And she just so happens to make the best healthy recipes (case in point: The Skinnytaste Cookbook is a masterpiece). I’m praying she’s a disaster in at least one area, but I haven’t found it yet.

Get Healthy with #AndieGina2016

We’re teaming up to help YOU reach your health and weight loss goals. Why? Because we have goals, too, and it’s so much easier to achieve them when you have support–especially when your support system really gets it. Goals are hard to achieve no matter where you are on your journey, and even an easy resolution can end up being a rough ride.

So, we’ve created a private Facebook group, that will be led by the two of us, where we can build a community to motivate, support, share victories, talk through struggles, and just be there for one another daily. Gina and I are also offering you the chance to win one of two Skype dates with us.

How to join the group and enter to win a Skype date:

From now until February 15th:

1. Buy BOTH It Was Me All Along in paperback! AND The Skinnytaste Meal Planner

2. Share a photo of the 2 books on social media, tagging Gina @skinnytaste (instagram), @skinnytaste (twitter) and @skinnytaste (facebook) and me @andiemmitchell (instagram), @andiemmitchell (twitter), and @andiemitchell (facebook), along with the hashtag #AndieGina2016

Once you do that, you can request to join the private Facebook group here: Get Healthy with Andie and Gina in 2016 (URL: 

And you’ll automatically be entered into a drawing for the Skype dates in February!

The post Get Healthy with #AndieGina2016 appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

6 Ways to Eat Healthy in the New Year!

This post is sponsored by Tuesday Morning

The best part of beginning a new year is the chance to start fresh. Even if waking up on January 1st isn’t quite the same as wiping the slate clean and starting over, it sure feels like it. And even if the resolutions we set out to conquer don’t end up feeling as manageable as we’d imagined, sometimes having hope feels good, doesn’t it? Just the act of trying to improve can be fulfilling. 

This year, healthy eating will no doubt top many resolution lists. Having spent more years than I can count with resolutions to lose weight and eat better, both before and after losing 135 pounds, I have lots of experience and advice in the healthy eating department. One tip? Before you start racing toward your goal, you have to set yourself up for success. Stock your fridge and pantry with wholesome, real foods. Buy the tools you need to [easily] prepare healthy meals, like a life-saving food processor, a good sharp knife, extra measuring cups so you’re not stuck when the ones you used at breakfast are dirty and in the dishwasher when you need them at dinnertime, or even a few sturdy cutting boards.

I was lucky enough to team up with Tuesday Morning, one of my favorite stores (and my mom’s too–she’d be devastated if I forgot to mention that) for everything home and kitchen, to stock up on some of those very tools (and all brand name kitchenware at Tuesday morning is about half the price of other places!) and share my 6 best tips for eating healthier in 2016!

Click here to head over to the Tuesday Morning blog to read all 6 tips!

The post 6 Ways to Eat Healthy in the New Year! appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

We’re Engaged!

Friends! I couldn’t be happier to tell you that Daniel and I are engaged! On New Year’s Eve, just after midnight, he asked me to marry him in the sweetest, most intimate way, and I was just a heap of tears. I love this man, this incredible human being, with my whole entire heart. There’s not a person on this Earth I’d rather spend the rest of my life, not even a person I’d rather stand in some agonizing line with, than Daniel. He is, without a doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I will be thankful every day to have him.

For any readers who need a little bit of backstory on our relationship, Daniel and I met the first day of our freshman year of college in 2003, started dating in 2004, and stayed together for 7 years (with a break-up thrown in there), until 2011, when, at 26, I broke up with him. If you’ve read the book, you know this. It was a devastating time of life.

Last May, though, we got back together, and in July, I shared it with you by writing this on Instagram:

In April, on a rainy Sunday, I woke up from a nap and saw that I’d gotten a text from Daniel. It was a picture of a gravestone in the ground. I didn’t recognize it at first, until I saw the name, my dad’s. It was overgrown with grass and weeds. The text to follow said, “I thanked your dad for making you. Told him all about your success.” All of the air in my lungs left me and I cried these deep, heaving tears. I haven’t been to that grave more than twice in the 18 years since he’s been gone, and here Daniel was, standing on that ground in Massachusetts, talking to my dad and thanking him. Who was this gift of a human being who loved me this much? I knew in that moment, even though I didn’t tell him then. There is no one I’ve ever loved, or will ever love, so completely, and on such profound levels. He is my best friend, the person I am most genuinely myself with, the kindest, most loving, funniest, and smartest person. He goes to dinner and the movies with my mom, just the two of them, because she asks, and he loves her. He loves my best friends. He accepts and loves the parts of me I have trouble loving myself. What incredible luck I have to have found him, and re-found him, and to have all these years of growing up together. When I wrote the dedication for my cookbook this past winter, we weren’t back together or even heading that way; we were just talking every day like we’d done for the last 12 years, never stopping even after we broke up in 2011. I wrote the dedication of that book to him, because I wouldn’t be who I am without him. Because I can’t imagine a life without him. He didn’t know I wrote it, but it’s so plainly true it practically wrote itself: “Daniel, you are my solid ground. No matter where we go, I’ll love you everywhere, all the time.”

 

When I think back to 2011 when we broke up, and that point in my life, it’s so clear to me how scared and unsure I felt about who I was and where I was going. I compare that to now, at 30 years old, with a pretty solid sense of self, a world more confidence, and a career that’s far more defined, and I’m aware of how unprepared I was to marry anyone then. When I consider the way I struggled with whether or not Daniel was ambitious enough, outgoing enough, and all the various other measures of enough-ness, I wonder now, Was it really Daniel who I felt was not enough? Or was it me?

Because at 26, having started a blogging career just a year and a half earlier and having just signed a two-book deal with Clarkson Potter, I was so insecure. I worried, do I deserve the success I have? I had overwhelming anxiety about where my career was going. Even though I went out all the time, I often felt obligated to, and then drained by all of my people pleasing. And when I felt depressed, I wondered, as I’d done a million times before, should my relationship be making me happier?

The past 4 years have been full of transformation. I moved in with my parents for a year after we broke up, and then to New York City, lived with my best friend Sabrina, published the memoir, dated some, and so much more. I’ve had incredible highs and crushing lows–even when everything appeared to stay the same. And every experience has taught me something invaluable about myself. I’ve begun to work on that part of me that needs to please, begun to tackle this perma-feeling of not-enoughness I have, and to shatter the perfectionism that often paralyzes me. Once again, I was reminded that happiness and fulfillment are a personal journey, not a couples’ game. Through living, through therapy, I have slowly started to accept myself completely–even the parts that I once found unacceptable, and started to realize that rejecting Daniel was in some way a rejection of me.

If you were to compare Daniel in 2011 and Daniel now, it’s clear he’s changed. If you ask him, he’ll tell you how much better he feels and how he’s improved his life, and I think that’s just wonderful. He’s more confident, more outgoing, and more intentional. But today, the way I’ve changed, and truly and fully loving him the way I do, it’s not the changes that make me love him.  It’s amazing that he’s changed while we were apart, for him; but I don’t need him to be different. Loving him is accepting him wherever he is.

I don’t regret breaking up in 2011. I wouldn’t know the things I do now, even when they were unbearably painful lessons. But the way I love him today is so full that it feels like finally putting on glasses to see clearly that the issues of our past, all those little specks, weren’t really an infestation of termites that were going to damage the foundation of us; they were just dust mites. I can sweep them away now. And when they collect again, because of course they will, I’ll keep a broom handy.

This summer, he asked me if I believe in soul mates. And I told him that, despite the fact that they’re cheesy and over-used, “I kinda do.” When I asked if he did, he said, “Only because of you.”  

I’ve always been skeptical of people who say things like, “You’ll just know,” when it comes to finding “the one.” It just sounded too good to be true, or at least a little too flimsy a feeling to make such a huge decision. But now I’m rethinking it. I didn’t know when I met Daniel freshman year of college in 2003, but I didn’t know anything then. I didn’t know in 2011 either. I still had a lot of growing up to do, and he probably did too. But this year, when I wanted to be with him, it felt impossible to be apart any longer. I didn’t need to make a pro and con list to help me decide whether or not to get back together. I didn’t need to convince myself.

I knew.

The post We’re Engaged! appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

100+ Healthy Recipes

Happy New Year!

If you’re like me, you’re trying to get back into the swing of healthy eating after the holidays.  While you’re meal planning for the month (and year) ahead, I wanted to help you with a little inspiration so that you and I never run out of delicious and wholesome meal ideas. Here are over 100 healthy recipes to pin, add to your weekly rotation, or come to my house and make (forget the rest of the options and just do that)!

There are delicious healthy dinner recipes, salad recipes, soups and stews, breakfasts, and snacks, too. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, or just looking for low-calorie wholesome ideas, I’ve got you covered!

Tell me what you’re making this week!

Butternut Squash Lo Mein | Food by Mars

Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna with Cashew Cheese and Kale Pesto | Food by Mars

Easy Paleo Beef Stroganoff (One Pan, 15 Mins) | Tea & Biscuits

Company Pot Roast (Gluten Free, Paleo, and Whole 30) | Tea & Biscuits

Asian Skillet Stir Fry | Noshing with the Nolands 

Pan Seared Salmon with Asparagus and Sweet Potato Rice | Frugal Foodie Mama

Lasagna Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | Ari’s Menu

Honey Sriracha Skillet Pork Chops | Ari’s Menu

Red Lentil Coconut Curry Stuffed Spaghetti Squash | Greens & Chocolate

Lightened Up Pad Thai for Two

Vegan Black Bean Burgers

Veggie Loaded Mexican Stuffed Peppers with Ground Turkey (no rice!)

Easiest Ever Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas

Maple Mustard Chicken Skillet | The Lean Green Bean

One Pan Roasted Chicken and Vegetables | The Lean Green Bean

Butternut Squash and Kale Lo Mein with Crispy Tofu | Healthy Slow Cooking

Mexican Lasagna (vegetarian) | Life Is but a Dish

Healthy Loaded Sweet Potatoes | What’s Gaby Cooking

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos | Two Peas & Their Pod

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Mango Jalapeño Dipping Sauce | Chocolate Moosey

Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe

White Bean Puttanesca with Garlic Bread

Thai Sweet Chili Shrimp with Cabbage Noodles | Chocolate Moosey

Skinny Buffalo Chicken Wraps | The Magical Slow Cooker

Brown Sugar Chili Rubbed Salmon with Avocado Crema

Greek Salad Hummus Pizza | Nutmeg Nanny

Lighter Fried Fish Sandwich with Creamy Coleslaw

Healthy Baked Ziti | Around My Family Table

One Pan Quinoa with Ground Turkey, Kale, Mushrooms, and Tomatoes | Rachel Cooks

Salmon Baked in Parchment Paper

Shrimp Piccata over Zoodles | Saving Room for Dessert

Easy Scallop Pasta | Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Blackened Tilapia Bowls | Girl Carnivore

15 Minute Ginger Shrimp Stir Fry

Broccoli and Cheese Chicken Quinoa Casserole | Diethood

Italian Chicken and Vegetables in Foil | Diethood

Weeknight Shrimp Tacos | Hola Jalapeño

Asian Style Halibut en Papillote | Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Pumpkin Black Bean Burgers | Back to Her Roots

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas | Back to Her Roots

Spinach and Ricotta Zucchini Cannelloni | Cafe Delites

Light and Healthy Peanut Sauce Noodles

Healthy Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Mason Jar Carrot Noodle Salad with Sweet Chili Vinaigrette | Nosh and Nourish

Healthy Broccoli Salad with Cashew Curry Dressing (Paleo, Gluten Free) | Food Faith Fitness

Beet and Carrot Salad with Pomegranate and Pumpkin Seeds | An Edible Mosaic

Crispy Green Bean Fries with Maple Dijon Dipping Sauce | Nosh and Nourish

Vegetable Wild Rice | Tasting Page

Vegan Broccoli Salad with Cashew Curry Dressing | Tasting Page

Baby Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Orange, and Maple Tahini Dressing

Easy No Massage Kale Caesar Salad

Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad | Celebrating Sweets

Spinach Power Salad with Chicken and Farro | The Lemon Bowl

Cheeseburger Salad with Big Mac Dressing

Cabbage Slaw with Honey Yogurt Lime Vinaigrette | The Lemon Bowl

Butternut Squash Multi-Grain Medley | 365 Days of Baking & More

Asian Quinoa Salad | Two Peas & Their Pod

Blackened Chicken Salad with Light Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Kale Chopped Salad with Berries and Freekeh (or Quinoa) | Two Healthy Kitchens

Corn Edamame and Quinoa Salad with Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette | Two Healthy Kitchens

Green Bean and Quinoa Salad with Maple Citrus Dressing | Peas & Crayons

Persimmon Avocado Pomegranate Salad (Vegan) | Peas & Peonies

Harvest Apple Salad | Emily Bites

Broccoli Stem Noodles with Sesame Ginger Dressing | All Day I Dream about Food

Simple Massaged Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing | A Cedar Spoon

Healthy Whole Grain Salad with Citrus | The Tomato Tart

Tabbouleh | Lemons for Lulu

| Namely Marly

Rainbow Power Salad with Peanut Dijon Dressing | With Salt and Wit

Cranberry Kale Salad with Roasted Pecans and Feta | The Roasted Root

Raw Baby Kale Salad with Apples, Sunflower Seeds, and Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette | Kalyn’s Kitchen

Balsamic Chicken Salad with Lemon Quinoa | Cafe Delites

Cucumber and Chickpea Salad | Reluctant Entertainer

Indian Spiced Roasted Vegetables | It’s Yummi

Rosemary Sage Tofu Salad with Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Pear, and Goat Cheese

Slow Cooker Coconut Lime Chicken Soup | Baked by Rachel

Easy Light Turkey Noodle Soup | Noshing with the Nolands

Minestrone (GF, Dairy Free, Top 8 Free) | Allergy Awesomeness

30 Minute Healthy Veggie Soup

Roasted Carrot Ginger Soup | Culinary Ginger

Healthy Turkey and Veggie Chili | Snixy Kitchen

Vegan Instant Pot Lentil Soup (with Slow Cooker Option) | Healthy Slow Cooking

Lentil Soup with Spinach and Mini Chicken Meatballs (Gluten Free) | An Edible Mosaic

Sherried Black Bean and Broccoli Stem Soup | Farm Fresh Feasts

Meatball and Veggie Soup | Lexi’s Clean Kitchen

Vegan Carrot Soup with Caramelized Onions | The Tomato Tart

| Namely Marly

30 Minute Skinny Zuppa Toscana | With Salt and Wit

Slow Cooker Beef and Barley Soup | Emily Bites

Italian Chicken and Vegetable Tortellini Soup | Cookin Canuck

Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa | Cookin Canuck

Easy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Chili Chickpeas

Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili

Baked Oatmeal Cups with Almond Butter and Bananas | Celebrating Sweets

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Muffins | Keep It Sweet Desserts

Healthy Blueberry Banana Bread | Keep It Sweet Desserts

Healthy Veggie Stuffed Egg Boats | Cotter Crunch

Whipped Oatmeal with Egg Whites

Healthy Sausage Egg and Cheese Breakfast Bowl with Sweet Potato Fries

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Healthy Sticky Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal | The Big Man’s World

Deconstructed Guacamole Frittata | Everyday Maven

Sugar Free Pumpkin Smoothie

Chia Seed Pudding with Maple Strawberries | Very Culinary

Warm and Spicy Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread | Frugal Foodie Mama

No Bake Healthy Breakfast Cookies | Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (Gluten Free, High Protein, No Refined Sugar) | Food Faith Fitness

Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowls | The Plant Strong Vegan

Cocoa Almond Protein Smoothies | Kristine’s Kitchen

Raspberry Peach Smoothie | Like Mother like Daughter

Green Apple Smoothie Bowl | Like Mother like Daughter

Orange and Beet Smoothie with Cranberries and Maple Syrup | Farm Fresh Feasts

Tropical Mango Kale Smoothie | Peas & Crayons

Spinach and Neufchatel Mini Quiches with Almond Crumble Crust | Around My Family Table

Spanish Tortilla (Spanish Potato Omelette) | The Recipe Rebel

Mini Mexican Wonton Quiche | The Recipe Rebel

No Bake Banana Bread Bites (Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free) | The Big Man’s World

Dark Chocolate Detox Bites | The View from Great Island

Healthy and Flourless Applesauce Spice Cake | Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Healthy Sweet and Salty Trail Mix | NeighborFood

Easy White Bean Dip | Kristine’s Kitchen

Paleo Fruit and Nut Bread | The View from Great Island

Black Bean Stuffed Endive | Reluctant Entertainer

5 Ingredient Chocolate Avocado Mousse (Vegan) | It’s Yummi

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus | A Cedar Spoon

Gluten Free Broccoli Parmesan Poppers | Busy in Brooklyn

Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread | Frugal Foodie Mama

No Bake Healthy Breakfast Cookies | Chelsea’s Messy Apron

Oatmeal Breakfast Bars (Gluten Free, High Protein, No Refined Sugar) | Food Faith Fitness

Loaded Healthy Nachos

Baked Buffalo Chicken Rolls

Petite Lasagnas

 

The post 100+ Healthy Recipes appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe

This post is sponsored by House Foods

Every Christmas Eve, my family piles into my grandmother’s sweet little home in Boston, and we have ourselves a merry eat-a-thon. It’s an Italian feast of meatballs, eggplant parm, and when we’re lucky, stuffed shells. We eat to our hearts content and once we’re sufficiently stuffed and I’ve stained my shirt, we summon the courage to attack the dessert buffet. We’re very courageous people.

This stuffed shells recipe is just the kind of thing I’d find at my grandmother’s. It’s cheesy, rich, and comforting. It even freezes beautifully if you want to make it ahead of time and reheat—perfect for holidays and just about every weeknight.

So…what’s the difference between this recipe and the original? Mine has about half the calories and is higher in protein, which could potentially leave me feeling better when it comes time to eat that third piece of homemade fudge.

The secret ingredient to making them lighter, while keeping all the cheesy, basil-rich flavor of the traditional version, is something you’d never expect: Tofu. If you’re skeptical, I’ve been there. I wasn’t so sure about this one, but using tofu in place of ricotta cheese is actually pretty fabulous, because ricotta is so mild that you can’t really detect the flavor in a recipe like stuffed shells or lasagna; it’s the basil, oregano, garlic, and other cheeses, like mozzarella and Parmesan, that deliver on taste. More than anything, ricotta is there for the texture.

But using House Foods extra-firm tofu can mimic that creamy texture flawlessly. A few quick pulses in the food processor and the tofu transforms into a smooth puree—a virtually flavorless cream that takes on the flavors added to it. Flavors like basil, oregano, garlic, and Parmesan give this lightened up filling all the same lovable qualities you’re used to. And of course there’s a heaping helping of shredded mozzarella inside that just melts right in and amps up the richness, and a sprinkling on top, too. Stuffed shells just wouldn’t be as cozy without blanket of melted cheese.

This lightened up version has only 282 calories per 2 shells and is so good you might ditch the ricotta forever. No one will guess that tofu is in there, either, so don’t worry about picky eaters. Make it, sit back, and feel great knowing you made a meal that only tastes indulgent.

 

PrintEasy Stuffed Shells Recipe

Makes: 6 Servings

2 Stuffed Shells

Calories per serving: 282

Fat per serving: 12g

Ingredients

1 12-ounce package House Foods Premium Extra Firm Tofu
1 ¼ cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (6 ounces)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
18 jumbo pasta shells
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
Fresh basil, finely chopped, for serving

Instructions

Remove the tofu from the package and dry it well with paper towels, pressing out as much moisture as you can.
In a food processor, add the tofu and pulse until smooth. Transfer the tofu to a large bowl and add ¾ cup mozzarella, the Parmesan cheese, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate while you boil the pasta shells according to package instructions. Drain the shells and toss them with the oil to prevent them from sticking together.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Remove the tofu and cheese filling from the fridge and spoon 2 tablespoons of filling into each shell, arranging them in the baking dish side-by-side. Spoon the remaining 1 cup of marinara sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the remaining ½ cup of mozzarella. Bake for 25 minutes, until the cheese melts and begins to bubble. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil, if desired, and serve.

Nutrition Information & Notes:

Nutrition Information for 2 stuffed shells: Calories 282, Fat 12g, Saturated Fat 4g, Carb 26g, Fiber 2g, Sugars 8g, Protein 19g

3.1

The post Easy Stuffed Shells Recipe appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

Easy Slice and Bake Sugar Cookie Recipe

We’re in the thick of cookie season right now. If you’re asking yourself, do I need another sugar cookie recipe? You do. Trust me, you do.

This isn’t any old sugar cookie, after all.

It’s a slice and bake sugar cookie recipe – just like those festive tubes of Pillsbury dough I bought for a good decade and ate straight from the tube even though I was warned against it. The difference is, these are homemade and rich with vanilla flavor and a buttery, chewy middle.

And would you believe me if I told you they’re only 77 calories each? It’s a holiday miracle of a cookie.

Put this easy sugar cookie recipe on your list of must-bakes! The dough couldn’t be more straight-forward to whip up, and once you form the log, you just wrap it in wax paper, twist the ends and freeze it! That way, you can slice off a few dough rounds any time you’re in the mood for thin, chewy sugar cookies!

Submit Your Favorite Holiday Baking Recipe!
I’m taking part in Facebook’s Holiday Bake-off! Share your favorite holiday baking recipe with me and I’ll bake it LIVE on Facebook!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Leave a comment below with the name of your favorite holiday baking recipe (you have until FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18 to enter!)
2. I will pick one delicious treat (and email you for the full recipe!) then I’ll bake it in a live broadcast on Facebook, letting everyone know it’s your recipe! Since I’ll be using Facebook’s Q/A feature, you can even ask questions live during the broadcast, too! I’ll post the link, date, and time to watch on Friday!

****UPDATE: Tune in Monday, December 21st at 7:30pm eastern to watch me bake a surprise holiday treat!

 

PrintEasy Slice and Bake Sugar Cookie Recipe

Makes: 18 cookies

Calories per serving: 77

Fat per serving: 3g

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
⅔ cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until blended. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until smooth. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Shape the dough into a 6-inch-long log, about 2 inches in diameter, and place it on a sheet of wax paper. Roll the dough in the wax paper, twisting the edges to seal it. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to 3 months.
To bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet to parchment paper. Remove the dough from the freezer and use a sharp knife or uncoated dental floss to slice the dough into ⅓-inch-thick rounds. Place on the prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, and bake until puffed and faintly golden, about 10 minutes.

Nutrition Information & Notes:

Calories 77, Fat 3g, Carb 12g, Fiber 0.2g, Sugars 7g, Protein 1g

3.1

The post Easy Slice and Bake Sugar Cookie Recipe appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

Holiday Gift Guide 2015

 

Friends! Are you like me and a last minute shopper? Great! Here are the things I love this season, all of which make fantastic gifts for just about every person on your list—from your coworker to your best friend to your mom!

 

1.  L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream $28

This creamy balm has been labeled “life changing,” a “beauty must-have,” a “handbag essential,” and “ultra moisturizing,” by beauty editors, magazines, and just about everyone who has used it. It’s made with 20 percent shea butter, honey, almond extract, and coconut oil, and leaves hands soft and truly feeling moisturized. The dry-skinned among us will rejoice!

2. Send flowers! The Bouqs Co. $30 – $80 

Sometimes a bouquet a flowers is the best gift to send. The Bouqs Co. has a simple online ordering process with free delivery. I’ve sent flowers through The Bouqs to friends and family half a dozen times and they’re always fresh and beautiful. 

3. It Was Me All Along $11

My memoir! NYT bestseller and Amazon’s choice for one of its Top 100 Best Books of the Year! The paperback is available for preorder and ships out on 12/29!

4. The Inspiralizer $49.99

Gift the best spiralizer on the market—it’s easy to use, easy to clean, and makes 4 different noodle shapes!

5. Altra Running Women’s One 2.5 $100

My absolute favorite running shoe. These shoes are as lightweight as can be, and I feel as though I’m standing on a thick yoga mat. They’re so comfortable. Here’s why: Zero Drop soles, which keep the heel and forefoot completely aligned, and their foot-shaped toe box. 

6. Outdoor Tech Orcas Wireless Earbuds $99

Having bluetooth earbuds has been a lifesaver for me. It’s allowed me to move around my house during the workday, work out, and cook without being tethered to my phone. These have great sound quality, are comfortable, last for about 4-6 hours with a full charge, and have a built-in mic, too! If you’d prefer the larger wireless headphones, I have these Outdoor Tech Privates Wireless Headphones.

7. Holiday Cookie Gift Pack $27

This gift is perfect for cookie lovers, Yankee Swaps, and anyone who might share the gift with you. Packaged in festive tissue, ribbon, and including a gift note (if desired), this gift includes TWO incredible cookie mixes:

1 tube: Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix +  1 tube: White Chocolate Peppermint Cookie Mix

Mixes are made with local, sustainable Shepherd’s Grain flour, 3 types of sugar including raw turbinado sugar, ground dried whole Heilala vanilla bean, and Guittard chocolate and Maldon sea salt. The White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies feature peppermint candy pieces and handmade vanilla sea salt.

Consider gifting the signature Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix ($14) +  the best cookie sheet: Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker’s Half Sheet $14.97

8. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette $54

This is my favorite eyeshadow palette. It features a dozen pigment-rich taupe and gray-beige neutrals, with colors ranging from delicate cream and champagne to mocha and intense black, and they vary in texture from shimmer to glitter to matte. This is the only eyeshadow collection you’ll need to create just about every gorgeous look—from daytime to a nighttime smoky eye, and I prefer it to the Naked Palette 1 because the shades are less coppery and more brown. Worth every single penny. I cannot recommend it enough.

9. Albion Fit At Ease Joggers $74

Cozy and comfy for relaxing at home but equally stylish when paired with a fitted black long-sleeved tee and a vest. These pants are thick and soft, like an old favorite sweatshirt, but with a slightly leaner fit that just traces your leg and doesn’t bag — so don’t worry, you’re not wearing those old Hanes sweatpants from the 80’s. I love these pants for everyday/everywhere wear. Daniel even asked me if he should buy me a few more pairs for Christmas, if that tells you anything. 

10. Fujifilm Instax Share Smartphone Printer $153

This little device lets you print photos from your smartphone or tablet using Fujifilm’s free instax SHARE app. The classic instax frame has that old, familiar white border too, making your photo look like it was taken with an instant camera (remember Polaroids?). Choose from a bunch of templates and filters (even add text!) and print as many as you’d like. Printed photos are 2.4” x 1.8”

11. Massage (varies)

Massage is one thing I absolutely love. I arrive to the massage table feeling tense, with aching shoulders and a neck ropy with knots. But when I leave, my perma-headache has melted away. I’ve regained the full range of motion in my neck, shoulders, and back. I’m restored, relaxed. The trouble is, I often feel bad spending money on massage, and I know so many of us feel the same. And that is why massage or spa gift cards make the perfect gift. We can’t feel bad about them; we can’t spend the money on something more reasonable–we just have to go.

Unless you know of the perfect local spa, consider a place like Massage Envy or Hand and Stone, with lots of convenient locations and reasonable prices. Both businesses offer a special introductory massage price of around $50 (compared to $75 – $99) for first-time customers, so your money can stretch a bit further if you’re close enough with your gift recipient to tell them to ask for the introductory rate!

12. Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche $77

This is the fragrance I’ve worn for the past few years now, and I’ve never in my life gotten so many compliments! I’ve had men and women stop me in stores, Starbucks, on the street…just to tell me that I smell great. It’s a light, fresh, slightly floral and citrusy scent that I’d say just smells really clean. If you order on Chanel.com, the shipping is free and so are the returns. 

13. Anthropologie Glimmer Ring Coasters $6 each

Handmade stainless steel and brass, available in copper, gold, and silver. Dishwasher-safe, too!

14. Urban Outfitters Metal Mania Pony Holder $8

This polished metal clip has a hidden stretchy hair tie inside, making a simple ponytail look cool and chic. Available in gold and silver.

15. Hand Warmer Heat Packs $79.99

These small, battery-operated warmers aren’t just for your hands. They can fit easily in pockets, jacket lining, pants, and gloves for up to 6 hours of constant heat per charge. They even have 3 temperature settings. 

For even more warmth, ThermCELL also makes Heated Insoles

for your shoes/boots! I found these and I’m telling you, I thought it was the greatest invention. I have struggled all my life with poor circulation. Thick socks and warm gloves might help to keep heat in, but what happens when there’s just no heat in your hands and feet…at all? Or when you’re out in the cold too long? 

These heated insoles have small battery packs inside that you can pop out to recharge. They’re water-resistant and come in a wide range of men’s and women’s sizes that you can trim to fit inside your favorite shoes or boots. $134.99 The ProFLEX Heated Insoles are very similar, but with even more flexibility and comfort $184.99.

16. iFit Watch $199.99

This is a watch I’d want to wear for style, and it just so happens to: monitor sleep, calories burned and calories consumed, track steps, and more. It’s water-resistant, has an extra-long battery life (up to 7 hours), and sends gentle vibrations to remind you to get up and move. Available in white and black. 

17. Rifle Paper Co. Recipe Tin $34

Includes 12 letterpress dividers and 24 charcoal spoon recipe cards. Buy extra of those Charcoal Spoon Recipe Cards $12

18. More from Rifle Paper Co.

One Dozen 4×6″ Recipe Cards $12

Bakers Recipe Cards // Garden Recipe Cards
Pink Floral Desk Pad weekly planner $10
Market List Pad with an attachable magnet $9.50
Great Things Everyday Notepad $8
Birch Floral Notebook $5.95
2016 Appointment Wall Calendar $22.10

19. Next Issue $9.99/month

If you love magazines, Next Issue brings every magazine you can think of (and every back issue) to your tablet for one monthly rate. You can now officially get rid of the stack of magazines on your coffee table and read your favorite monthly AND weekly mags anywhere, anytime — for so much cheaper than you’d pay to subscribe to all of them.

$9.99/month plan includes: unlimited access to all monthly magazines, all back issues, access on up to 5 devices per account, and you can cancel online anytime!

$14.99/month plan is the same, but gives you access to all weekly magazines, too!

20. Vogue Professional 18W LED Gel Nail Polish Curing Lamp $59.99

This small but powerful LED nail lamp allows you to give yourself gel manicures at home! It has 3 timer settings (30, 60, and 90 seconds). I have the USpicy 18W LED Gel Nail Polish Curing Light, which seems almost identical, and I love and recommend it, but that model is currently unavailable.

Add nail polish: OPI Gelcolor Collection “Lincoln Park After Dark” or OPI Gelcolor Collection “You Don’t Know Jacques” $14.95

21. Nomadkey Lightning to USB Cable for Apple Devices $24.99

A 3-inch ultra portable, durable, and flexible lightning to USB cable for Apple devices. It attaches to your keychain so you always have a charging cable handy! Works with iPhone 6/6 Plus/5/5s/5c, ipad 4, ipad Air, ipad Mini Retina and ipad.

22. MLB Single BBQ Branders ~$30

Brand your grilled food with your favorite sports team!

What are you buying this year??

The post Holiday Gift Guide 2015 appeared first on Andie Mitchell.

Easy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Chili Roasted Chickpeas

 

Sabrina has always loved tortilla soup. For years, though, every time she ordered it, I always kind of wondered why she’d waste her valuable stomach space on a bowl full of what appeared to be…watered down tomato sauce? I couldn’t figure it out. But then again, I hadn’t ever actually tried it. That’s how good belief systems are made, though, you guys! Don’t try it, judge it!

 

When I finally ordered my first bowl, it was because I came to my senses. Hello! Tortilla soup could offer me the same thrill that nachos and tacos do: toppings. So as long as I didn’t hate the base (and how could I? I love tomatoes, cumin, chili powder…), it couldn’t be a stretch to love. Who wouldn’t love something you can top with fried tortilla strips, cheese, diced avocado, and sour cream? Exactly—my mom. But other than her, there’s no one.

 

 

Of course it was great. The soup base alone—toppings aside—was like the best, most flavorful tomato soup I’d ever had. After I ate it, I came home, made a note to make my own version, waited two good years, and here we are: the perfect vegetarian tortilla soup!

Do you see how easy things can be with me?

From cutting board to soup bowl, it takes under an hour. It’s warm, spicy, and smoky with Mexican flavors like chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. It gets a kick of heat from jalapeños and just a little sweetness from brown sugar and tomato paste, which always helps deepen and intensify tomato flavor.

Using really good canned tomatoes is essential here, because the tomato flavor is prominent. My recommendation is Tuttorosso pureed tomatoes. I’m telling you, every variety of Tuttorosso canned tomatoes just blows the doors off of the other brands I’ve tried. This is going to sound strange, I know, but…they truly taste like tomatoes. Having lived on two coasts and cooked for well over a decade now, I’ve tasted the same products in about 8 other brands and I was always a little turned off by the acidic, tinny taste most brands have. But I just assumed that when you taste tomatoes out of the can, they taste bitter and metallic. When I discovered Tuttorosso, it was night and day. Straight from the can, their tomatoes were so good that I’d eat them on their own. Finding a canned tomato brand is oddly special, isn’t it? Because your marinara sauce matters more than anything. Your chili recipe matters, too. Hey your tortilla soup matters! Give Tuttorosso a try and let me know what you think.

 

 

Now: toppings! Instead of going with crispy tortilla strips, which maybe aren’t the lightest things around (I still love you, tortilla strips!), I made crispy spiced chickpeas using my favorite roasted chickpea recipe. The coating on these beans is a super flavorful mix of garlic powder, chili powder, dried oregano, and sea salt. Once roasted, they turn into these crispy, golden kernels that taste great while also adding protein and fiber to the soup for some staying power!

 

 

Consider making this ahead of time, because the flavor only gets better the longer it sits and it reheats well. The chickpeas won’t stay crispy for more than a day, but no one minds once they’re floating in soup anyway. Just make a pot of and go to town with toppings — add cheese, scallions, or even chopped avocado. The sky’s the limit — or, really, your fridge is the limit, but you probably have cheese at the very least, right?

Enjoy, friends!

 

PrintEasy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup with Chili Roasted Chickpeas

Makes: 6 Servings

about 1 3/4 cups

Calories per serving: 283

Fat per serving: 7g

Ingredients

Chili Roasted Chickpeas
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¾ teaspoon chili powder
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt

Tortilla Soup
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium white onion, finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, ribs and seeds removed, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
32 ounces low sodium vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup packed fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
4 radishes, very thinly sliced (optional)
⅓ cup light sour cream

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dry the chickpeas well with paper towels. In a medium bowl, toss them with the oil. Add the garlic powder, chili powder, oregano, and salt, and toss well to coat them. Spread them in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes, flipping halfway, or until the chickpeas are crispy and golden brown.
For the soup, in a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, paste, broth, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, brown sugar, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the corn and half of the cilantro into the soup. Taste the soup and add more salt to taste if needed.
To serve, ladle about 1 ¾ cups soup into each bowl, divide the chickpeas among the bowls (about a heaping ⅓ cup), sprinkle with the sliced radishes, spoon 1 tablespoon sour cream on top, and garnish with the remaining cilantro. If desired, add shredded cheddar cheese and avocado!

Nutrition Information & Notes:

Nutrition Information for 1 Serving (including chickpeas and toppings, as directed): Calories 283, Fat 7g, Carb 51g, Fiber 10g, Sugars 13g, Protein 10g

Nutrition Information for Soup alone, no chickpeas (about 1 ¾ cups): Calories 140, Fat 3g, Carb 27g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 13g, Protein 3g

3.1

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Why Self Acceptance Matters

If you struggle with food, you know all too well that the heart of the struggle isn’t with the food so much as it is with yourself. We can’t just remove certain foods, or change what we eat, and hope that’ll be enough to end our emotional eating. It won’t. We’ve tried that. What we need is an overhaul of the relationship with ourselves. And that’s some hard work. After all, we’ve only been fighting who we are for, oh, decades maybe?

 

But there’s a secret—a shortcut even. Not an easy path, let me warn you, but it’s the straightest, surest one to working through emotional eating. And it’s going to startle you, but hear me out: To recover from emotional eating, you must first accept yourself.

 

If the concept of self-acceptance seems contradictory to change and recovery, I get it, because we’re often trying to recover because of the dissatisfaction we feel with our current state. How can I accept the very thing I want to change? And then, If I could accept myself, why would I need to change? But self-acceptance is more beneficial than you think.

 

Simply, it is accepting all parts of ourselves—from our limitations to our strengths. Acceptance doesn’t mean we think we’re perfect, or allow complacency, or even stop us from improvement. It’s complete, eyes-open, awareness of who we are in the present moment and embracing that. Why embrace that?

 

Because we’re not motivated by criticism. We’re not inspired when we hate ourselves. If your daughter became chubby, and you judged her, shamed her, and let her know just how much you couldn’t accept her chubbiness…would it motivate her to change?

 

Or would she feel ashamed? Would she begin to eat secretly and alone, like us?

 

Or let’s say it did lead her to lose weight…what do you think her relationship with food, herself, and you would look like afterward? Years later?

 

As hard as we may try, you just can’t beat yourself into change. When we constantly judge ourselves, we internalize those harsh criticisms, and stop believing we’re capable. Instead of recognizing that we have moments of weakness, we start to believe we are weak. Instead of recognizing that we have some ingrained habits that don’t serve us, we believe we are deeply flawed. It’s so commonplace to believe these things about ourselves. Ask any woman you know. She can’t bear to accept herself and she’s got a list of things she could rattle off that she needs to improve.

 

A person who is not self accepting might be in such a state of inner and outer turmoil that they can’t help but avoid their current reality. They’ll do anything to repress the emotions they feel. I’ve been this person, with my eyes closed and fingers in my ears, trying to block out how shameful the reality of my binge eating was—and how much weight I’d gained (hi, 2012!). I thought that accepting myself meant being OK with myself, and I wasn’t. So I didn’t weigh myself, didn’t write about it, didn’t want to talk about it. I just distracted myself so that I couldn’t feel the anxiety, all the while gaining, eating nightly with the promise to start clean tomorrow. And every day I hated myself, because I deserved it.

 

What would self-acceptance have looked like then? I remember my therapist mentioning it and me, almost spitting out my coffee at the very thought, “Of course I can’t accept myself! I’m a mess!” But knowing what I know now, I recognize that self-acceptance means waking up the morning after a binge, acknowledging that it’s shame I feel, and knowing that when I hear the voice in my head saying, “You always screw up. Why are you so weak?!” I should remember that it’s the same voice who tells me a million conflicting thoughts 100 times a day—the same voice that can, within the same hour, make me think I’m pretty and then ugly, smart and then dumb, secure and oh no.

 

If I were self-accepting, I could have recognized that I was lodged in a cycle of binge, restrict, repeat, and rather than trying to spend that day eating next to nothing to make up for the zillion calories I’d eaten the night before, a compassionate me could have encouraged, “Andie you’ve learned that never works. Maybe you won’t make up for the binge today, or ever, but mentally and emotionally, why don’t you try feeling stable and balanced?” Because the old way never worked. And the compassionate way is precisely what does.

 

Acceptance gives you permission to practice kindness with the person you’ve historically been the least kind to: you. If you give it a real try, you’ll see how the criticisms get lighter. Self-doubt shakes off. Shame dissipates. Hating yourself becomes a rare phenomenon, but you’re human. Slowly, your beliefs about yourself shift from less-than to enough, from powerless to empowered. And when you do make changes, like losing weight, let’s say, you have the perspective to see that hating yourself never made you any thinner, and doubling up on self-criticism never counted for a damn thing.

 

But acceptance did.  

 

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Thankful + Changing the Site to Andie Mitchell

Almost six years ago, to the day, I was working in a high rise in Philadelphia, on a movie set with Jack Nicholson, Paul Rudd, and Reese Witherspoon. The job was coming to an end, as film projects always do, and I was happy. Even though I’d enjoyed being a production assistant (as completely unglamorous as that position can be), I was also ready to move in a different direction.

I wanted to share all the food I was making at home, to write about the new relationship I’d made with food, talk with other people about weight loss and balance and what a torturous beast maintenance can be. And I knew that I could do all of that…if I started a blog.

The day I bought the domain canyoustayfordinner.com, the film job I had taken to follow that one in Philly had just abruptly folded, and all of us lost our jobs on the spot. There Daniel and I were, stuck in a lease in Hamden, Connecticut until May. I sat at my computer, and for a gray day in February, felt spring.

I fell hard with food blogging, with the same intensity that makes me free fall into love. I blogged three times a day then. It was insane, absolutely, and so cringe-worthy, yes, but oh I just loved it. I didn’t have brakes I could’ve pumped at that point in my life. And I’m not sure I would’ve used them even if I knew how.

When people (you) started coming to read, it was amazing to me. When I cooked, so did you. When I talked about weight loss, you wrote back. When Daniel and I broke up in 2011, you felt it; I know you did, because you told me so. When I fell off the map, struggled hard in 2012, and re-emerged with a post about crippling depression, you knew, and you had waited, and you were there to say, “I understand. And I love you.” When I gained weight in 2013, gave a Ted Talk, and told you about my shame, you reminded me that you don’t need me to be perfect–a lesson I work on every day of my life. And when I published It Was Me All Along, and worried about sharing so much of myself with millions, you came out in droves with your unbelievable kindness. You make me know, every day, who I’m writing to, and why I’m writing, and what I’m so unbelievably grateful for.

 

Blogging is not journaling. It’s an attempt at sharing—at starting a conversation. If it were meant to be a diary entry, I’d just jot down my thoughts into the pages of one of the 20 beautiful Rifle Paper Co. notebooks I’ve picked up at Target in the last two years, and stuff it in my nightstand. But no, because you’re here, sometimes listening, and sometimes talking back.

I know I’m past Thanksgiving by a few days, but I’m chronically late and if my mother hasn’t rectified her lateness in nearly 60 years, I have very little hope for myself. But that’s not the point. The point is, I am thankful for you every single day.

Changing to AndieMitchell.com

I changed the site to Andie Mitchell for two reasons: one because I felt like I was outgrowing Can You Stay for Dinner? and it didn’t seem to encompass all the many things I share now—about weight loss, about life, about me. The second reason, and a more obvious one, is that, as an author, none of my books carry that name—my memoir is It Was Me All Along and my cookbook, out this spring, will be Eating in the Middle: A Mostly Wholesome Cookbook. My name is what ties all that I write and create together, and I like that. I feel comfortable moving into that, even though it feels a little…I don’t know, grand, maybe?

All the links out there (on blogs, Pinterest…you name it) will redirect automatically from canyoustayfordinner.com to andiemitchell.com, so don’t worry if you’re still clicking them, or typing the old address into your search bar for a while.

I hope you’re at home here, that you come over regularly, and you feel comfortable enough to chat and share as if you were sitting on my couch (because we eat here, too).

I love you,

Andie

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