Let’s Get it Pinning in Here

Let’s Get It Pinning in here…

And the base keep pinnin’ pinnin’, and pinnin’ pinnin’, and pinnin’ pinnin’, and pinnin’ pinnin’, and
pinnin’ pinnin’, and pinnin’ pinnin’, and pinnin’ pinnin’, and pinnin’ pinnin’, and…

Are you ready to get started with The Lean Green Bean’s next Pin It Party? Yah!!!!!

Are you now currently humming along to the Black Eyed Peas song? Yaaaahhhhh….. No.

Get your head out of the music and refocus, because right now it’s all about Pinterest. There’s no time for Fergie today.

Everyone is welcome to participate and the rules are simple:

• Round up 5 blog posts you’ve written that you would like to see on Pinterest.
• Make sure there is a nice, pinnable image or photo included in each post.
• Write a short post featuring the posts you chose- ie, put 5 nice images & links to the posts all in one place, along with a short description of each post.
• On Thursday, publish your post, then visit The Bean and add your post to the linkup!

Below I have gathered my 5 posts that I would love to be pinned, and to further excite things, I have also included some more items of Pinterest “interest” (ha! 😉 ) towards the end that I think my fellow pinners may love as well.

Grain-Free Banana Scones – This is my most recent recipe here on Eating 4 Balance. The scones are naturally sweetened with honey and bananas, and topped with a deliciously simple almond butter glaze (nut-free and vegan substitutions listed).

Basic Paleo Pancakes– These are my fluffiest grain-free pancakes to date. Like most of my recipes, they are very allergy-friendly, and being made from neutral flours they would be wonderful with a variety of toppings.

Microwave Cinnamon Rolls– In case you are new to my blog, you should know that the only thing that rivals my passion for pancake recipes is my love for cinnamon rolls. This cinnamon roll recipe in particular is great because it can be made in just a few short minutes and has a serving size of two. It’s perfect for a quick morning breakfast.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes – Like I said, I love pancakes. With a combination of apples, nut flour, yogurt and eggs these are a are a great hearty (and healthy) way to start your day.

Catching Fire Recipe Round-Up – This may be one of my most time intensive posts ever (except for my 12 Days of Allergy-Friendly Christmases). In honor of the release of Catching Fire I went through the book, found all mentions of food, and then proceeded to match up a majority of them with recipes that I have found around the blog world. If you are a Hunger Games fan, you don’t want to miss this post. It would be a great resource for a party when Catching Fire is released on DVD!

Of course, a pinner is nothing without the amazing pinners that she/he follows. Below are just a couple of my favorite boards on Pinterest. They range from style to funnies to Disney stuff to gorgeous scenery… and then of course there are the food boards. Most recipe boards I follow are just for “pinspiration” but there are a few allergy-friendly ones in there as well.

• So Many Ecards So Little Time — Samantha Perry
• If I’m not going to catch anything, then I ‘d rather not catch anything on flies — Mike Hill
• Spinach and Other Cool Things — Sophie Kalmar
• Brittany Angell’s Recipes — Brittany Angell
• Kick A** Stuff — Jennifer Lawson
• Disney Spectacular — Kathleen Billings
• Blogger Copycat Recipes We Love — Group Board
• Gluten-Free Goodies — Group Board
• Desserts — Melissa K

I hope you’ve found some delicious recipes to pin and interesting new boards to follow! My pinterest account is here if you’d like an awesome daily slew of puppy chow recipes, obsessive Harry Potter memes, and a constant influx of allergy-friendly recipes.

If you have a Pinterest board that you think I’d like to follow (it can be yours of course!) let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for someone new. Pinterest is one addiction I’m not sure I will ever break 😉

NEVER!!!

Spill It: TV Shows

I’m so glad that you are liking my link love posts on Fridays! I would really like to make them a more consistent feature on Eating 4 Balance so that I can share all of the wonderful things that I find every week on the internet. I already have a bunch of funny videos to share for the next edition!

Now, as it’s Sunday, I’m linking up to Arman’s Spill It Sundays. This week’s theme is TV Shows!

Required selfie:

What was your favorite TV series growing up?

Scooby Doo. Hands down. No question about it. From the prequel series called “A Pup Named Scooby Doo” to “Where Are You Scooby Doo?” to the movie spin-offs there isn’t one version that I’ve seen and not liked. Really, it’s not possible.

What is your current favorite TV series?

Arrow. I finally caught up with all of the episodes last night on Hulu and the CW. As of right now one of the minor (probably soon to be major) characters, Roy, just got injected with some funky stuff and is now supernaturally strong. And someone is walking around terrorizing the town in a scarecrow-like mask. What’s not to love?

In all things serious though, my favorite part is the back and forth flashbacks that show what Oliver’s life was like when he was stranded on the island. Often during a tv series you may wonder why a character is the way he is, and with these flashbacks you get just that. Maybe I’m just a nosey tv watcher, but I always want ALL of the details. I don’t like to be left hanging for long.

If you could guest star in ANY TV show, which would it be?

How long would this guest appearance be lasting? If it was just for one episode I would probably want to be in Rookie Blue, Bones, House, or a similar medical/police drama where I’m the featured case (and get the most air time 😉 ). If it was for a longer character arc… maybe Sherlock? I’m not very good at a British accent, but I would love to work with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman!

What genre of  television do you enjoy the most? (Reality, Action, Drama, Comedy)

I’m not really picky on what kind of television I watch. It just has to be good. For example, some reality tv series like American Idol, The Voice, or Wipeout are not so ridiculous that I can’t sit down and enjoy an episode occasionally when they’re on. I like comedies too, but they can’t have characters who are super embarrassing. Take The Office- that show is hilarious; however, watching Michael make a fool of himself made me want to curl up in a corner and die.

I guess I like a combination of action and drama. I’m all for cop shows, medical shows, superhero shows, lawyer shows, etc. Throw in some supernatural features and that’s even better (think- Star Trek, Buffy, Heroes, Continuum, ).

Which TV series do you think should NOT have been renewed after its first season yet had?

Any of those adult cartoons. I’m sorry (not really) but The Simpsons, Family Guy, South Park are not something that I ever or will ever like to watch. Also, certain reality shows like Jersey Shore, The Hills, The Kardashians, Jon and Kate Plus Eight… Really, any show that ruined the lives of its stars. I like people. I don’t like people being exploited (or exploiting others).

Which TV series do you think deserved to be renewed yet was not? 

Lizzie McGuire? Phil of the Future? (I need to know what happened! Did Lizzie and Gordo stay together? What is Miranda doing now? Does Phil ever come back from the future?! This is important stuff people).

Aside from these childhood shows that ended way too soon and resulted in life long trust issues, some more recent shows that shouldn’t have been cancelled are Leverage, Surface, Heroes, Tru Calling, Dollhouse, Dead Like Me, Eureka, Life Unexpected, Kyle XY, Freaks and Geeks, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It’s not necessarily that I felt like all of those shows should have been renewed (okay, maybe it is), but I just didn’t appreciate the endings. They were either cliff hangers, or so unrealistic that I felt like they were thrown together in a hurry and totally ruined all that was good about the series.

What is your favorite TV show theme song? (This one I added myself)

Do you mean other than Scooby Doo‘s? (Isn’t it just so… catchy? 🙂 )

Fresh Prince of Bel-Air springs to mind, as does The Big Bang Theory, Batman (POW!)), Wildfire, MASH, Buffy, Cheers, Rugrats, Pokemon/Digimon, Step by Step, Phineas and Ferb, Boy Meets World, The Addam’s Family (tell me you didn’t *snap* just upon hearing that name!), and I saved the best for last- The Greatest American Hero. You really need to listen to all of these, because they are all amazing songs and soon will be stuck in your head all day.

If you are currently undergoing some snow storms and sub-zero weather, stay safe my friends! And for everyone else, enjoy the rest of your weekend. I’ll see you on Monday (hopefully) with a giveaway 🙂

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Answer any/all of the questions above!

How is the weather where you are?

What was the last thing you watched? (Online or on TV)

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Confession time: Until I opened my Bloglovin this morning and saw the barrage of Recipe Redux posts from my fellow food bloggers, I had completely forgotten that the 21st was the reveal day for January! I could excuse my absent-mindedness with mumblings of school work, but that would just be silly since I received an email recently from the Redux team as a reminder.

At first I was hopeful that the recipe I had already would fit the bill… but unfortunately scones do not look similar enough to pizza to count. 😦

Then I remembered a pizza that I had made a very very long time ago. In fact, it was SO long ago that I actually had shared the pictures on my old blog way back in 2012 with promises to “share it soon.” Yes, so now over a year later I am finally making good on that promise.

While it’s not gluten-free or much in line with what I usually post, I have included a host of substitution options below the recipe instructions that should give you plenty of ideas. It’s a recipe that I used to make monthly before discovering my food allergies. In fact, bringing up these old pictures reminded me how much I love making pizza, so this will have to happen again sometime soon — I adapted the dough from the Master Pizza Dough recipe that I found on AllRecipes my freshman year of high school. It’s a keeper.

Whole Wheat BBQ Chicken Pizza

Whole Wheat, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy/Meat-Free Options, Vegan Option

Tomato-Free Option, Grain/Gluten/Wheat-Free Suggestions Below

Makes Approximately 12 slices

Pizza dough*:

• 1 cup warm water
• 3-4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all purpose)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 envelope rapid rise yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt

Pizza toppings:

• 1 cup barbecue sauce*
• 1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese*
• 2 cups chopped grilled chicken*

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. If using a pizza stone, place it in the oven now. If using a baking sheet, either oil it or cover it in parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl combine 2 cups of the flour with the yeast and salt. Then stir in the warm water and olive oil. Add extra flour as needed to make a soft dough.
3. Prepare a floured surface and knead the dough until smooth and elastic (I usually do this for about 4 minutes). Leave the ball of dough on the floured surface, cover it with a towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
4. Next take the ball of dough and place it on your chosen baking pan (sprinkle the pizza stone with flour to prevent sticking). Shape it into a large circle, about 14 inches in diameter. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes (this will prevent the pizza from burning on top and being undercooked in the middle).
5. Take the pizza dough from the oven. Spread the barbecue sauce onto the pizza, leaving a one inch rim around the outside for the crust. Sprinkle the cheese on top and then the chopped chicken.
6. Put the pizza back into the oven and bake for about another 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

*Substitution options:

• To make this gluten-free, this version from King Arthur Flour has great reviews.
• And to make it paleo/grain-free, you have a few options: 1. Instead of the wheat pizza dough, make a cauliflower crust. 2. Another option would be to make my vegan, grain-free biscuits and just spread them out into a large circle, baking for slightly longer than the biscuit recipe originally stated.
• Here is a list of great and healthy BBQ sauce recipes if you don’t want to use a store bought one. (Here is a homemade tomato-free BBQ sauce recipe if you can’t eat tomatoes).
• To make this vegan, you can replace the dairy cheese with a vegan shredded cheese, nutritional yeast, or a vegan cheeze sauce. For the chicken, you can easily leave this out to make it vegan or vegetarian. Or, replace it with grilled tofu squares, cooked chickpeas, or even chopped vegetables like mushrooms/onions/etc.

Now, for the other Recipe Redux participants and their pizza recipes, check them out below:

Oh, and because I can’t hold in my excitement for another day, here is the picture for the scones that was going to be up today. With two recipes already posted in the past few days though, I’ll probably wait until next week to share these. Try to contain your excitement 😉

And I hope you didn’t forget that it’s Wednesday– aka, one of THE greatest days of the week. Head on over to Peas and Crayons with Jenn for even more amazing food pictures.

With both The Recipe Redux and WIAW link-ups to keep you busy, I don’t know how you are going to have time for anything else today ***insert evil laugh here***

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What have you forgotten recently? Stories please!

Have you ever made homemade pizza before? What’s your favorite kind?

What food picture were you most excited to share in WIAW today?

5 Ways To Know When You Have Been Back Home For Too Long

I don’t know about everyone else, but school breaks are never as stress-free and relaxing as I expect them to be. During my final exams right before I leave for home I daydream about long relaxing hours of reading books and baking. I picture waking up refreshed each and every morning with my schedule free as the birds to whatever the heck I want. And finally, in these imaginary fantasy lands that I long for as I’m studying, I see a wonderful, smiling family who never fights, never bickers, and who reside in rainbow-lined cottages among the clouds…

As that ridiculous ending already clued you in on, being home for three weeks straight is no walk in the park. Would I have rather been someplace else? Of course not. I love my family and I’m glad I got to spent all of that time with them. However, sometimes there is something as being together TOO much. And so, for today’s Thinking Out Loud I have come up with my personal list of…

1. You start to notice those little quirks in your family members that you had forgotten about. Like the fact that your mother will not answer the phone if it is an unknown number. “Really? What are they going to do? Reach through and kidnap you?”

2. You start to get so bored that playing Ninja Kiwi with your brother starts to sound appealing. “Tell me again- where should I put the dart monkey to destroy the most amount of balloons?” Just NO.

Note: This is not my picture. I was never able to get past easy.

3. You start to get annoyed by the littlest things. Somebody forgot to wash their plate before loading the dishwasher? Watch out for Godzilla with the reign of terror that you are about to inflict on your unsuspecting sibling.

4. You start to clean up after everyone else’s messes as well as your own. This is NOT acceptable. Leave now before you enter the land of no return.

Okay, not entirely, but sometimes it really does feel this way!

5. You start to dream about being back at school. Literally.

Needless to say, I am ecstatic to be back at school… even if it is only for 5 days before I return home for a holiday weekend.

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Now go make sure to check out all of the other thinkers in Amanda‘s link-up!

 

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Questions for you:

• Have you ever experienced a similar situation when coming back home for an extended period of time?
• What little quirks bother you?
• When was the last time that you were a “Godzilla” too?