Overtime Cook

Grape Upside Down Cake

January 15, 2014 by overtimecook Leave a Comment

Grape Upside Down Cake is beautiful and impressive, plus it's yummy and has a fabulous texture! I was all set to post a new real food recipe, but then I decided that this cake is too perfect for Tu B'shvat to resist posting today. Seriously folks, you need to make this for Tu B'shvat. But then, keep the recipe handy, because it's so delectable, so pretty, so great, you'll want to make it again, and again. And again. And then again. The great thing about upside down cakes is that a plain round cake looks beautiful. No frosting, no piping bags, no sugar roses. Just a gorgeous cake that will impress everyone you serve it to. Oh, and did we discuss the texture yet? It's...well, perfect. … [Read more...]

Fruit Tart Cookies and Top Ten Fruity Recipes!

January 13, 2014 by overtimecook 8 Comments

fruit tart cookies on OvertimeCook.Com.jpg

Amazingly soft and chewy cookies are topped with a luscious creamy topping and fresh fruit - fruit tart cookies! I'm so excited to share this recipe with you! It was originally featured in my summer article for Ami Magazine on using fresh seasonal fruit, but I figured that with Tu B'shvat coming up this week, there's no better time to post a recipe for Fruit Tart Cookies! These cookies are soft, chewy and totally addictive. Top them with a layer of creamy frosting - and they are even better! Then add a layer of fresh fruit, and you have the most beautiful little cookie that's elegant enough for a fancy occasion, yummy enough for any occasion, and of course, perfect for Tu B'shvat! Oh, and … [Read more...]

My Weight Loss Journey with Start Fresh: Week 6

January 12, 2014 by overtimecook 7 Comments

-love all,trust a few,do wrong to none.- (5)

My first week of my Weight Loss Journey with Start Fresh - phase 2 - is over. And the result is... Yep, I lost another 2 pounds! I am through the moon with excitement over that. I am down a total of 13 pounds since starting, my clothes are getting too big on me, and I feel GREAT! The second phase of Start Fresh is called Start Fresh Program for Life. It's meant to be a diet program you can follow in the long run...and I totally see it working for me. The program allows for some more choices than it did in the previous weeks, bread, pasta, all in limited amounts. It also gives you daily "StarSaver" points - which you can use to have small amounts of treats, or save up and have one big … [Read more...]

Coffee Crinkle Cookies

January 6, 2014 by overtimecook 22 Comments

These coffee crinkle cookies have no butter or margarine, but they do have an incredible texture and they're packed with flavor! Have we discussed recently just how much I adore coffee? Seriously, I like to say that it's coffee running through my veins - not blood. And while part of what I love about my beloved coffee is the caffeine, the buzz, the liquid energy, I also love the flavor. No, I really do. So much so, in fact, that I've even had decaf coffee a couple of times in my life. I know, crazy, right? But what can I say, coffee is just so awesome. So. Naturally, for a flavor this good, this beloved, I needed to come up with a rocking cookie...because, cookie. And boy did I come up … [Read more...]

My Weight Loss Journey with Start Fresh: Week 5

January 5, 2014 by overtimecook 4 Comments

-love all,trust a few,do wrong to none.- (4)

So I finished my first month of my Weight Loss Journey with Start Fresh! So my total weight loss for the month... Did you enter my giveaway for a free month on Start Fresh? It ends tonight at midnight - don't miss it! I'll admit, it wasn't the easiest week for me. I had a day off for New Year's, I was out sick one day, and I was snowed in another. Being home and bored doesn't make for easy dieting. I was tempted to cheat a few times, but I had my plan and stuck with it! I started asking myself... "Am I hungry, or am I bored?" As you can imagine, I was bored most of the time. One of my delicious food discoveries of the week was my Skinny Mocha Frappes. I also made a version with just … [Read more...]

Skinny Mocha Frappe

January 2, 2014 by overtimecook 9 Comments

Trying to lose weight? This Skinny Mocha Frappe recipe will help you stick to your resolutions! So 2014 is here, and lots of us are probably trying to eat healthy, lose weight, yada yada yada. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that I'm in the middle of week 4 of my new diet. It's been great so far, and I am definitely adjusting to the whole "eat healthier" thing, but everyone needs a treat now and then, right? Well, my diet might be structured, but I had to come up with a way to treat myself within my diet plan. So I came up with this drink. You know the one you spend $5.95 on at a cafe or restaurant? Yep, same thing. Except it costs pennies in … [Read more...]

My Weight Loss Journey with Start Fresh: Week 4 and a Giveaway!

December 29, 2013 by overtimecook 64 Comments

-love all,trust a few,do wrong to none.- (3)

So I've just finished my 3rd full week of my Weight Loss Journey with Start Fresh and I am feeling really good! Scroll to the end of the post for a double giveaway! That's right! I lost another 2 pounds, for a total weight loss of 9 pounds. This isn't about dropping 15 pounds in 15 days, or some other fad-diet, easy-off, easy-on, kind of diet. It's a sustainable, balanced plan that allows me to lose weight in a slow but steady manner. (Winning the race and all that...) On thursday night, I baked a cake. Nothing too extraordinary for me, right? But it was a new recipe (stay tuned!) which means I had to taste it. I can't publish a recipe without knowing if it's good or not. In the past, … [Read more...]

Roasted Green Beans with Onion Garlic

December 26, 2013 by overtimecook 9 Comments

Roasted Onion Garlic Green Beans on OvertimeCook.jpg

Roasted Green Beans are a delicious side dish that's perfect for someone who's eating healthy! You know how I said in my last post that I find myself eating lots of the same foods, turning to old favorites, and keeping my food under my new diet pretty simple? Well then I started to think to myself...maybe some of these old favorites are simple, but who's to say y'all wouldn't enjoy some of these recipes? Well I took an informal poll on Instagram and Facebook, asking if you folks were interested in the recipe for these roasted green beans. Turns out, lots of you wanted it! So tonight I am sharing one of my favorite veggie recipes. And by that I mean, this is how my mother always … [Read more...]

Healthy Apple Spice Muffins

December 24, 2013 by overtimecook 8 Comments

Healthy apple spice muffins are so delicious, you will forget that they are good for you! I'm going to make a confession right now. You'd think that being on a diet and trying to eat delicious food that's still healthy, I would be coming up with all kinds of delicious new recipes to share with you. But sadly, that is just not the way it's been going. I am trying to make plenty of healthy food in minimum time, and I find myself lacking time, inspiration and motivation to play. I find myself turning to all of my old favorites, instead of creating new and exciting recipes. Don't worry, I'll get my creativity back soon. In the meantime, I decided to share one of my favorite healthy muffin … [Read more...]