My topic today is traditional and appropriate! It's the time of year for people to take a good look at themselves and ask the big questions. Am I who I want to be? What do I need to change? What goals should I make for myself this year? Did I complete goals from last year? Am I who I want to be? As we ask ourselves this question, do we consider all aspects of our lives? I checked out a lot of websites out there to find out the most common new year's resolutions that people make. You know what's in the top 3 on every list I've looked at? Getting physically healthier.
In this day and age it seems everything is all about the outer appearances. Are we ever as concerned about our mental and spiritual health as we are about our physical health?
You hear all the time about keeping our lives in balance. We need to balance work and play. We need to balance school and job. We need to balance family and friends. Diet and Exercise. Chocolate vs. Broccoli. But what about the balance of things without substance to them. How do you measure spiritual calories? How do you trim down the excess emotional pounds? How do you gauge your mental exercises?
I think they're all tied together for sure but that doesn't mean we can focus on one and one alone. Dieting and exercising will certainly get your physical health improved and it may help your emotional and mental health as well. But it's not going to boost your emotional or mental health as well as if you focused some time on those things individually too.
So as you are planning out your New Year's Resolutions, don't forget to look inward as well as outward. Consider what you can do to improve not just your physical health but your emotional, mental, and spiritual health as well.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Matt and I are heading out to Utah next week so I didn't do a meal plan. We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Notoriously Unhealthy
Maybe it's just me but I've always thought of Mexican food as bad for you. Maybe it's the loads of greasy beef. Maybe it's the salt in the beef, on the chips, in the salsa...Maybe it's the cheese in it's ooey gooey must-have-in-moderation goodness. Whatever it is, something about mexican food is notoriously unhealthy.
But I love mexican food!
So I set about this week trying to find a mexican-style recipe that wasn't terribly bad for you. I managed to find a good one for chinese sweet'n'sour chicken (the ultimate challenge in my opinion) but I had yet to come across a good mexican dish. Then, as I pulled out all my cookbooks and brought up all my recipe source websites, I stumbled across my 'Starving Student's Cookbook'. It's full of very simple meals with few ingredients. I flipped through the pages and found 'Beef Mexicana'. I added up the calories on the ingredients and found that it'd actually be okay to try!
I'm learning as I go that subbing ingredients will go a long way to making your favorite meals much much healthier. I can also usually put in quite a few spices without increasing the calories hardly at all! So I took this simple recipe and added/subbed a couple things. Firstly, the ground beef I traded for ground turkey. Ground turkey has half the calories and 1/10th the fat of even extra lean ground beef. And you never taste the difference especially when it's in a meal like this one.
But I digress. The other thing I substituted in Beef Mexicana was the onions. Matt doesn't particularly like them. He likes their flavor but he doesn't like the onion. And I'm willing to work with that because I hate chopping onions. I don't know if I'm sensitive to onions or what but I have a really hard time with them. Sure they make me cry but it's more than that. They make my eyes sting and my nose gets all stuffed up so I can't breath through it. OMG there I go on a tangent again! So I replaced onions with 2 tbl onion powder. This is great too because onion powder has that kind of saltiness to it without actually being salt. So I skipped the salt.
Since I wanted it to be kinda mexican I also tossed in a dash of my favorite spice in the whole wide world....Cumin. It's the most fragrant of the spices they put in those taco seasoning packets and in the ground beef at Taco Bell. Mmmmm Yum! So a couple tbls of Cumin and I left the rest of the ingredients alone.
It turned out delicious! We rolled some of it up in tortillas with a sprinkle of cheese. It was nice and spicy because I'm generous with the hot sauce. And it was messy like good mexican food should be. We just used the tortilla chips to scoop up what fell out of the burrito shells. What made it taste even better though, was the fact that it was a reasonable calorie amount and it was low-fat.
The moral of the story is, SUBSTITUTE! You can always make your favorite foods healthier by subbing! You don't have to forever shut out those notoriously unhealthy dishes. A little ground turkey here, a little extra spice and part-skim mozzarella there and you can eat healthier and get your fixes in.
I think next week I'm gonna try to find a good tamale recipe that I can alter. Mmmm tamales.
But I love mexican food!
So I set about this week trying to find a mexican-style recipe that wasn't terribly bad for you. I managed to find a good one for chinese sweet'n'sour chicken (the ultimate challenge in my opinion) but I had yet to come across a good mexican dish. Then, as I pulled out all my cookbooks and brought up all my recipe source websites, I stumbled across my 'Starving Student's Cookbook'. It's full of very simple meals with few ingredients. I flipped through the pages and found 'Beef Mexicana'. I added up the calories on the ingredients and found that it'd actually be okay to try!
I'm learning as I go that subbing ingredients will go a long way to making your favorite meals much much healthier. I can also usually put in quite a few spices without increasing the calories hardly at all! So I took this simple recipe and added/subbed a couple things. Firstly, the ground beef I traded for ground turkey. Ground turkey has half the calories and 1/10th the fat of even extra lean ground beef. And you never taste the difference especially when it's in a meal like this one.
But I digress. The other thing I substituted in Beef Mexicana was the onions. Matt doesn't particularly like them. He likes their flavor but he doesn't like the onion. And I'm willing to work with that because I hate chopping onions. I don't know if I'm sensitive to onions or what but I have a really hard time with them. Sure they make me cry but it's more than that. They make my eyes sting and my nose gets all stuffed up so I can't breath through it. OMG there I go on a tangent again! So I replaced onions with 2 tbl onion powder. This is great too because onion powder has that kind of saltiness to it without actually being salt. So I skipped the salt.
Since I wanted it to be kinda mexican I also tossed in a dash of my favorite spice in the whole wide world....Cumin. It's the most fragrant of the spices they put in those taco seasoning packets and in the ground beef at Taco Bell. Mmmmm Yum! So a couple tbls of Cumin and I left the rest of the ingredients alone.
It turned out delicious! We rolled some of it up in tortillas with a sprinkle of cheese. It was nice and spicy because I'm generous with the hot sauce. And it was messy like good mexican food should be. We just used the tortilla chips to scoop up what fell out of the burrito shells. What made it taste even better though, was the fact that it was a reasonable calorie amount and it was low-fat.
The moral of the story is, SUBSTITUTE! You can always make your favorite foods healthier by subbing! You don't have to forever shut out those notoriously unhealthy dishes. A little ground turkey here, a little extra spice and part-skim mozzarella there and you can eat healthier and get your fixes in.
I think next week I'm gonna try to find a good tamale recipe that I can alter. Mmmm tamales.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Meal Plans Dec 12th-18th
Weighing In: 249
Monday I weighed in at 250 so just 1 pound this week. Here's this week's meal plans with the grocery list at the bottom. Price Chopper is having a good meat sale this weekend.
Meals
Sat
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Mac & Cheese(180) & Apple(80) -- 260
Ham & Veggie Pasta(435) -- 435
Sun
Nutri-grain Bar(140), Toast(100) & butter(35) -- 275
Hot Dogs(215) w/chips(130) -- 345
Beef Mexicana(300) w/Pizza Bread(125) -- 425
Mon
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) & banana(80) -- 264
Sammich(230) w/Pringles(130) -- 360
Stuffed Bell Peppers(310) & jello fruit salad(150) -- 460
Tues
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Egg Salad Sammiches -- 460
Chicken Stroganoff(156) w/green beans(30) & cookies(100) -- 286
Wed
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Sammich(230) w/Pringles(130) -- 360
Cream of Veggie Soup(240) w/Pizza Bread(125) -- 490
Thurs
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Tuna Wraps(205) w/carrot(45) & ranch(15) -- 265
Leftovers Misc -- Unknown
Fri
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Hot Dogs(215) w/chips(130) -- 345
English Muffin Pizza 1.5 (195ea) w/jello fruit salad(150) -- 442
Extra
Grilled Cheese Sammich(250) & Chicken Noodle Soup(120) -- 370
Snacks
Fat Free Jello Pudding, chocolate & vanilla(80), Yogurt(110), Flavored rice cakes(50), Popcorn(140), Nutri-grain Bar(140), Crackers(120), Cheddar cheese snack(90), Cookie Pack(100)
Recipes
Ham & Veggie Pasta
From Taste of Home Tailgate Cookbook
2 cups cooked bite-sized mixed veggies like broccoli, carrots, peas
2 cups cooked spiral pasta
1/2 cup chopped, cooked ham
1/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Dressing:
1/3 cup fat free mayo
1 tbl cider vinegar
1/2 tbl dijon mustard
1 minced clove of garlic
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp pepper
In a large bowl combine veggies, pasta, ham, cheese and onions. In another bowl combine the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
Beef Mexicana
From The Starving Students' Cookbook
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbl onion powder or 1/4 onion sliced thin
1 tbl butter
1/2 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
salt, pepper to taste
splash of hot taco sauce to taste
handful of tortilla chips (topping)
In a skillet on medium heat, cook onion, garlic and butter until golden. Add beef/turkey. Stir and cook until done. Stir in all other ingredients except chips. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Crunch up tortilla chips and sprinkle on top just before serving.
Pepperoni Pizza Bread
From Gold Medal Bread Machine Recipes
3 cups flour
1/3 cup Mozzarella cheese
2 tbl sugar
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 3/4 tsp yeast
1 cup + 2 tbl water
2/3 cup pepperoni
Carefully place all ingredients except pepperoni into bread machine pan. Add pepperoni at the raisin/nuts signal or 5-10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends. Select basic/white cycle and use medium or light crust color. Removed baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Modified, Original Recipe
2 large green bell peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef/turkey
1/2 can corn
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, (1 cup), divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt, (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut out stem ends of bell peppers and discard. Scoop out seeds. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the peppers until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Drain and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, just until it loses its pink color, about 2 minutes. Drain the fat.
Transfer the turkey mixture to a medium bowl and mix in corn, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, parsley, salt (if using) and pepper. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place them in a 2-quart casserole dish. Spoon the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the peppers. Cover and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, 30 to 35 minutes.
Hearty Chicken Stroganoff
Modified From Grandma's Kitchen Treasured Family Recipes
1 cup cooked wide noodles
6 tbl flour, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 chicken breasts, lightly pounded & cut in half lengthwise
2 tbl butter, divided
3 med mushrooms, quartered (I'm excluding this)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 tsp ketchup
Mix 4 tbl flour with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Heat 1 tbl butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in the butter until just browned on both sides 6-8 minutes total. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring often, 4 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and veggies from pan, leaving the juices. Add cooking wine and let boil for 1 min. Add remaining flour and butter and the dry mustard. Mix well then gradually stir in broth. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and ketchup. Return chicken and veggies to pan. Cook, stirring until heated through but do not boil. Place noodles on serving platter, spoon chicken mixture over the noodles.
Cream of Veggie Soup
Modified From Taste of Home Tailgate Cookbook
1/2 cup chopped ham
3 tbl onion powder or 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 cup half&half cream
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2.5 cups cooked mixed veggies such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower
In a large pot over high heat, saute onion in butter until tender, add flour and stir until bubbly. Gradually add chicken broth then cook and stir until thickened about 5-7 minutes. Stir in milk, cream, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add veggies reduce heat to medium-low and cook gently until heated through and thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
English Muffin Pizza
4 english muffins, sliced in half
8 tbl pizza sauce
8 tbl mozzerella cheese
16 slices of turkey pepperoni
Preheat oven to 350. On each slice of muffin put 1 tbl pizza sauce, 1 tbl cheese and 4 slices of pepperoni. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Grocery List
Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything. Still new at this. x.x
List:
--Meats--
Ground beef or turkey 1lb
Deli Meat
Chicken Breasts (2 needed for this week)
Oscar Meyer Fat Free Turkey Wieners
Farmland Ham (2 4oz slices for this week)
--Baked Goods--
Sliva's Flour tortillas -medium
Save Hot Dog Buns
Save Wheat Bread
Thomas Smart Start English Muffins
--Boxed/Canned--
Ronzoni Rotini Whole Wheat Pasta
Kraft Whole Grain Mac & Cheese
Tortilla Chips
Pringles Low Fat Original
Starkist Tuna Creations (Teryaki this week)
Best Choice Whole Kernel Corn
Best Choice Tomato Sauce 8oz x2
Taco Bell Salsa
Swanson Broth (Can) Chicken Broth x2
Jello (any flavor) 1 box
Best Choice Fruit Cocktail
Best Choice Pizza Sauce
Best Choice Wide Egg Noodles
--Refrigerated--
Skim Milk
Yoplait Vanilla Fat Free Yogurt
6-pack Eggs
Best Choice Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Best Choice Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Belfonte Half&Half Cream
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
Fat Free Sour Cream
--Frozen--
Old Orchard Misc Juice x4
Mixed Veggies x2
--Produce--
Bananas
Green Onions
Bell Peppers x2
Mushrooms medium x3
--Staples--
Country Crock Light Margarine
Kraft Fat Free Mayo
Cider Vinegar
Dijon Mustard
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Dill Weed
Onion Powder
Hot Sauce
Yeast
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Sugar
Flour
Parsley
Canola Oil
White Cooking Wine
Dry Mustard
Ketchup
Basil
--Snacks--
Crackers
Nutri-grain bar
Fat Free Jello Pudding
Flavored rice cakes
Popcorn
Nutri-grain Bar
Crackers
Cheddar cheese snack
100 Calorie Cookie Packs
Price Chopper Ads
Fat Free Jello Pudding 12 pack 2/$6
100 Calorie Nabisco Cookies 2/$5
Shredded Cheese 1.99 ea
Farmland Ham Buy One Get One
Swanson's Broth Chicken Broth (can) 0.99 ea
Yoplait Yogurt 10/$5
Belfonte Half&Half Cream 1.29ea
Monday I weighed in at 250 so just 1 pound this week. Here's this week's meal plans with the grocery list at the bottom. Price Chopper is having a good meat sale this weekend.
Meals
Sat
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Mac & Cheese(180) & Apple(80) -- 260
Ham & Veggie Pasta(435) -- 435
Sun
Nutri-grain Bar(140), Toast(100) & butter(35) -- 275
Hot Dogs(215) w/chips(130) -- 345
Beef Mexicana(300) w/Pizza Bread(125) -- 425
Mon
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) & banana(80) -- 264
Sammich(230) w/Pringles(130) -- 360
Stuffed Bell Peppers(310) & jello fruit salad(150) -- 460
Tues
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Egg Salad Sammiches -- 460
Chicken Stroganoff(156) w/green beans(30) & cookies(100) -- 286
Wed
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Sammich(230) w/Pringles(130) -- 360
Cream of Veggie Soup(240) w/Pizza Bread(125) -- 490
Thurs
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Tuna Wraps(205) w/carrot(45) & ranch(15) -- 265
Leftovers Misc -- Unknown
Fri
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Hot Dogs(215) w/chips(130) -- 345
English Muffin Pizza 1.5 (195ea) w/jello fruit salad(150) -- 442
Extra
Grilled Cheese Sammich(250) & Chicken Noodle Soup(120) -- 370
Snacks
Fat Free Jello Pudding, chocolate & vanilla(80), Yogurt(110), Flavored rice cakes(50), Popcorn(140), Nutri-grain Bar(140), Crackers(120), Cheddar cheese snack(90), Cookie Pack(100)
Recipes
Ham & Veggie Pasta
From Taste of Home Tailgate Cookbook
2 cups cooked bite-sized mixed veggies like broccoli, carrots, peas
2 cups cooked spiral pasta
1/2 cup chopped, cooked ham
1/4 cup cubed cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
Dressing:
1/3 cup fat free mayo
1 tbl cider vinegar
1/2 tbl dijon mustard
1 minced clove of garlic
1/2 tsp dill weed
1/4 tsp pepper
In a large bowl combine veggies, pasta, ham, cheese and onions. In another bowl combine the dressing ingredients. Pour over salad and toss to coat.
Beef Mexicana
From The Starving Students' Cookbook
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tbl onion powder or 1/4 onion sliced thin
1 tbl butter
1/2 lb ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1 8oz can of tomato sauce
salt, pepper to taste
splash of hot taco sauce to taste
handful of tortilla chips (topping)
In a skillet on medium heat, cook onion, garlic and butter until golden. Add beef/turkey. Stir and cook until done. Stir in all other ingredients except chips. Cover and cook 10 minutes. Crunch up tortilla chips and sprinkle on top just before serving.
Pepperoni Pizza Bread
From Gold Medal Bread Machine Recipes
3 cups flour
1/3 cup Mozzarella cheese
2 tbl sugar
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 3/4 tsp yeast
1 cup + 2 tbl water
2/3 cup pepperoni
Carefully place all ingredients except pepperoni into bread machine pan. Add pepperoni at the raisin/nuts signal or 5-10 minutes before last kneading cycle ends. Select basic/white cycle and use medium or light crust color. Removed baked bread from pan and cool on wire rack.
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Modified, Original Recipe
2 large green bell peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
3 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 pound ground beef/turkey
1/2 can corn
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce, (1 cup), divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt, (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut out stem ends of bell peppers and discard. Scoop out seeds. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large pot and blanch the peppers until tender-crisp, about 1 minute. Drain and cool under cold running water. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add turkey and cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, just until it loses its pink color, about 2 minutes. Drain the fat.
Transfer the turkey mixture to a medium bowl and mix in corn, 1/2 cup tomato sauce, parsley, salt (if using) and pepper. Stuff the peppers with the mixture and place them in a 2-quart casserole dish. Spoon the remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce over the peppers. Cover and bake until the peppers are tender and the filling is heated through, 30 to 35 minutes.
Hearty Chicken Stroganoff
Modified From Grandma's Kitchen Treasured Family Recipes
1 cup cooked wide noodles
6 tbl flour, divided
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 chicken breasts, lightly pounded & cut in half lengthwise
2 tbl butter, divided
3 med mushrooms, quartered (I'm excluding this)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup white cooking wine
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free sour cream
1 tsp ketchup
Mix 4 tbl flour with salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Heat 1 tbl butter in large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in the butter until just browned on both sides 6-8 minutes total. Add mushrooms and onion. Cook, stirring often, 4 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove chicken and veggies from pan, leaving the juices. Add cooking wine and let boil for 1 min. Add remaining flour and butter and the dry mustard. Mix well then gradually stir in broth. Cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and ketchup. Return chicken and veggies to pan. Cook, stirring until heated through but do not boil. Place noodles on serving platter, spoon chicken mixture over the noodles.
Cream of Veggie Soup
Modified From Taste of Home Tailgate Cookbook
1/2 cup chopped ham
3 tbl onion powder or 1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 cup half&half cream
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2.5 cups cooked mixed veggies such as broccoli, carrots, cauliflower
In a large pot over high heat, saute onion in butter until tender, add flour and stir until bubbly. Gradually add chicken broth then cook and stir until thickened about 5-7 minutes. Stir in milk, cream, basil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add veggies reduce heat to medium-low and cook gently until heated through and thickened, about 10-15 minutes.
English Muffin Pizza
4 english muffins, sliced in half
8 tbl pizza sauce
8 tbl mozzerella cheese
16 slices of turkey pepperoni
Preheat oven to 350. On each slice of muffin put 1 tbl pizza sauce, 1 tbl cheese and 4 slices of pepperoni. Place on a cookie sheet and bake 5-10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Grocery List
Hopefully I'm not forgetting anything. Still new at this. x.x
List:
--Meats--
Ground beef or turkey 1lb
Deli Meat
Chicken Breasts (2 needed for this week)
Oscar Meyer Fat Free Turkey Wieners
Farmland Ham (2 4oz slices for this week)
--Baked Goods--
Sliva's Flour tortillas -medium
Save Hot Dog Buns
Save Wheat Bread
Thomas Smart Start English Muffins
--Boxed/Canned--
Ronzoni Rotini Whole Wheat Pasta
Kraft Whole Grain Mac & Cheese
Tortilla Chips
Pringles Low Fat Original
Starkist Tuna Creations (Teryaki this week)
Best Choice Whole Kernel Corn
Best Choice Tomato Sauce 8oz x2
Taco Bell Salsa
Swanson Broth (Can) Chicken Broth x2
Jello (any flavor) 1 box
Best Choice Fruit Cocktail
Best Choice Pizza Sauce
Best Choice Wide Egg Noodles
--Refrigerated--
Skim Milk
Yoplait Vanilla Fat Free Yogurt
6-pack Eggs
Best Choice Part-Skim Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Best Choice Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Belfonte Half&Half Cream
Hormel Turkey Pepperoni
Fat Free Sour Cream
--Frozen--
Old Orchard Misc Juice x4
Mixed Veggies x2
--Produce--
Bananas
Green Onions
Bell Peppers x2
Mushrooms medium x3
--Staples--
Country Crock Light Margarine
Kraft Fat Free Mayo
Cider Vinegar
Dijon Mustard
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Dill Weed
Onion Powder
Hot Sauce
Yeast
Oregano
Garlic Salt
Sugar
Flour
Parsley
Canola Oil
White Cooking Wine
Dry Mustard
Ketchup
Basil
--Snacks--
Crackers
Nutri-grain bar
Fat Free Jello Pudding
Flavored rice cakes
Popcorn
Nutri-grain Bar
Crackers
Cheddar cheese snack
100 Calorie Cookie Packs
Price Chopper Ads
Fat Free Jello Pudding 12 pack 2/$6
100 Calorie Nabisco Cookies 2/$5
Shredded Cheese 1.99 ea
Farmland Ham Buy One Get One
Swanson's Broth Chicken Broth (can) 0.99 ea
Yoplait Yogurt 10/$5
Belfonte Half&Half Cream 1.29ea
Exercising by Example
Last week when we went to the gym I didn't have my audio book so I was paying a lot more attention to my surroundings. I noticed that there is a guy that is always there about the same time that Matt and I go to the gym. He looks like he's in about as good a shape as we are but he hops on the devil machine and starts going like there'll be no tomorrow! Seriously, this guy cranks up that machine and moves faster for longer than I've seen anyone else do. Needless to say I was impressed. If this guy can stay on the devil machine for an hour and a half surely I could stay on it for a half hour if I put my mind to it.
So I did! Normally this week would have gotten me up to 13 minutes on the devil machine. But after watching this guy and having seen him keep on going forever and not have a care in the world...I decided I'd push it. First, I hopped on a machine right next to that guy so my motivation was right there next to me. Then, I made it to my 13 minutes and I told myself...I can go to 15. Just 2 more minutes. That's not hard, I've already done 13...what's 2 more? So as I worked my way to 15, I distracted myself with the television. I concentrated on reading what the ticker was saying and by the time we got to a commercial break I looked down at my machine's timer and it said 15:42.
Sweet! I made it almost 16 minutes and you know what? I can do a few more minutes. I've already done 16, I can do 4 more minutes and go to 20. It's not so bad. Again, as I got closer to 20 minutes, I turned my attention back to the TV for a while until there was another commercial break and I looked down. 22 minutes. Awesome! Well, I'm already at 22 minutes, let's round up and I'll stop at 25 if I'm really tired and just can't take it anymore.
When I got to 25 minutes I was really glad I was on the machine next to that guy. I suddenly understood why girls hang up their swimsuits in the kitchen while they're dieting to remind them why they're dieting! At 25 minutes I was positive I was too tired to make it to 30. But once glance to the side showed me that guy, huffing and puffing and sweating like a pig BUT....he was still going. I glanced at his timer and it read 1 hour 9 minutes. If he could do it, so could I. So I bucked up and kept going.
I made it to 31 minutes on the devil machine. I hopped off and my legs were a little wobbly and I was really thirsty. Later that first night I had to spend 10 minutes stretching my legs cause they were cramped up. The next day I couldn't bear to think about getting on the devil machine again. But when I got to the gym, there was that guy. So I got on the machine.
Monday I did 15 minutes, Tuesday I did 31. Wednesday 15 minutes and Thursday 35. Today it will be back to 15 minutes again. Every 30 minutes I'm on that devil machine I burn 250 calories. On the treadmill I was burning 100-120 in the same amount of time. That rocks! So I plan to continue my schedule and hopefully make that 30 minutes into an hour in the future. I know that that guy will be there at the gym to inspire me. And even when he's not there, I'll remember him for a while yet. Maybe someday I'll get up the courage to thank him for his example that helped me to push myself when I exercise.
So I did! Normally this week would have gotten me up to 13 minutes on the devil machine. But after watching this guy and having seen him keep on going forever and not have a care in the world...I decided I'd push it. First, I hopped on a machine right next to that guy so my motivation was right there next to me. Then, I made it to my 13 minutes and I told myself...I can go to 15. Just 2 more minutes. That's not hard, I've already done 13...what's 2 more? So as I worked my way to 15, I distracted myself with the television. I concentrated on reading what the ticker was saying and by the time we got to a commercial break I looked down at my machine's timer and it said 15:42.
Sweet! I made it almost 16 minutes and you know what? I can do a few more minutes. I've already done 16, I can do 4 more minutes and go to 20. It's not so bad. Again, as I got closer to 20 minutes, I turned my attention back to the TV for a while until there was another commercial break and I looked down. 22 minutes. Awesome! Well, I'm already at 22 minutes, let's round up and I'll stop at 25 if I'm really tired and just can't take it anymore.
When I got to 25 minutes I was really glad I was on the machine next to that guy. I suddenly understood why girls hang up their swimsuits in the kitchen while they're dieting to remind them why they're dieting! At 25 minutes I was positive I was too tired to make it to 30. But once glance to the side showed me that guy, huffing and puffing and sweating like a pig BUT....he was still going. I glanced at his timer and it read 1 hour 9 minutes. If he could do it, so could I. So I bucked up and kept going.
I made it to 31 minutes on the devil machine. I hopped off and my legs were a little wobbly and I was really thirsty. Later that first night I had to spend 10 minutes stretching my legs cause they were cramped up. The next day I couldn't bear to think about getting on the devil machine again. But when I got to the gym, there was that guy. So I got on the machine.
Monday I did 15 minutes, Tuesday I did 31. Wednesday 15 minutes and Thursday 35. Today it will be back to 15 minutes again. Every 30 minutes I'm on that devil machine I burn 250 calories. On the treadmill I was burning 100-120 in the same amount of time. That rocks! So I plan to continue my schedule and hopefully make that 30 minutes into an hour in the future. I know that that guy will be there at the gym to inspire me. And even when he's not there, I'll remember him for a while yet. Maybe someday I'll get up the courage to thank him for his example that helped me to push myself when I exercise.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Meal Plans Dec 6th-11th
I totally forgot to weigh myself last night at the gym so I'll give an update to that Monday when we go again.
Since my birthday is coming up my sweet darling hubby put together the meal plan for this week. He's also taking care of all our weekly clean-house chores and he made me lunch. <3
Sun
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Chili(190) & crackers(130) -- 320
Spaghetti w/meatsauce(190), Lite Caesar Salad(135) & Breadsticks(110) -- 435
Mon
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Out for birthday lunch -- Unknown
Misc Leftovers -- Unknown
Tues
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Sammich(230) w/ cookies(100) -- 330
Burgers(300) w/tator tots(100) & pears(83) -- 483
Wed
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Sammich(230) w/Pringles(150) -- 380
Fried Rice(270) w/sliced tortilla(100) & cantalope(130) -- 500
Thurs
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Mac & Cheese(220) & apple(80) -- 300
Breaded Salmon(185), Mashed Potatoes(160), Corn(80) & Breadsticks(110) -- 535
Fri
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Sammiches(230) w/pringles(150) -- 380
Sweet & Sour Chicken(345) w/breadsticks(110) -- 455
Extra
Grilled Cheese Sammich(250) & Chicken Noodle Soup(120) -- 370
Snacks
Fat Free Jello Pudding, chocolate & vanilla(80), Yogurt(110), Flavored rice cakes(50), Popcorn(140), Nutri-grain Bar(140), Crackers(120), Cheddar cheese snack(90), Beef Jerky(30), Cookie Pack(100)
Recipes
Sweet & Sour Chicken
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
2 tbl canola oil
4 tbl sweet and sour sauce
1/2 pound chicken tenders, cut into small pieces and breaded lightly
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger
1 cup chicken broth
6 cups of bite size pieces of vetables (fresh or frozen;thawed) such as peas, broccoli, bell peppers
1- 5 oz can of chopped water chestnuts, drained
Combine rice and 1 cup of chicken broth/stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until rice is done. (20 min white rice, 1 hour brown rice usually, check package) Meanwhile, heat 1 tbl oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 tbl of oil to pan, add garlic, ginger and cook for 20-30 seconds. Add vegetables, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are cooked to desired tenderness. Add sweet and sour sauce and chicken. Heat through and serve on top of rice. Serves 2.
'Fried' Rice
1 bag of Bird's Eye Steamfresh rice w/veggies of your choice.
4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked, chopped
2 flour tortillas
4 tbl sweet and sour sauce
Cook Steamfresh according to instructions. Remove from bag and place in medium bowl. Mix in bacon and sweet & sour sauce. Slice tortillas into quarters and serve with rice.
Grocery List
I've taken a page from emealz book and put the list in several sections. Items needed for the meals in the first column. Staple items in the second column which you may or may not already have. And snacks in the third column, which you may or may not have from the week before or you have your own list of snacks or whatever.
Next week I'll keep better track of brands that we get and make note of it. I'd also like to note that we buy all our meats, fish and cheeses from Costco so that cuts down on our grocery bill quite a bit. Especially the salmon. One bag of salmon is between 15-$20 but it lasts us a good 6 months. One piece can be divided between two people as long as you accompany it with enough sides. Anyways...apologies in advance if I miss an ingredient here and there.
List:
--Meats--
Ground beef or turkey 1lb
Deli Meat
Chicken Breasts (2 needed for this week)
Salmon
Turkey Bacon
--Baked Goods--
Bread
Hamburger buns
Flour tortillas medium
--Boxed/Canned--
Cereal x2
Oatmeal, Plain
Chili
Mac & Cheese
Spaghetti noodles
Spaghetti Sauce
Pringles
White Rice
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Whole Kernel Corn
Chicken Stock/Broth
Chicken Noodle Soup
--Refrigerated--
Yogurt x10
Milk x2gallons
Cheese Slices
Pillsbury breadsticks
Crystal Lite flavor packets
--Frozen--
Tator Tots
Steamfresh rice w/veggies
1 bag frozen mixed stir fry type veggies
Frozen Juice Concentrate x4
--Produce--
Lettuce
Apple x2
Lite Caesar Salad kit
Cantalope
Pears x2
Minced Garlic (I buy a small jar of it cause it's easier than chopping garlic yourself)
Staples:
Butter
Honey
Mayo
Pickles
Fish Breading (I get chicken and fish breading from the 1$ isle at Price Chopper in Bonner)
Canola Oil
Sweet & Sour Sauce (We use La Choy)
Ginger
Snacks:
Crackers
Nutri-grain bar
Fat Free Jello Pudding
Flavored rice cakes
Popcorn
Nutri-grain Bar
Crackers
Cheddar cheese snack
Beef Jerky
100 Calorie Cookie Packs
Since my birthday is coming up my sweet darling hubby put together the meal plan for this week. He's also taking care of all our weekly clean-house chores and he made me lunch. <3
Sun
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Chili(190) & crackers(130) -- 320
Spaghetti w/meatsauce(190), Lite Caesar Salad(135) & Breadsticks(110) -- 435
Mon
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Out for birthday lunch -- Unknown
Misc Leftovers -- Unknown
Tues
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Sammich(230) w/ cookies(100) -- 330
Burgers(300) w/tator tots(100) & pears(83) -- 483
Wed
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Sammich(230) w/Pringles(150) -- 380
Fried Rice(270) w/sliced tortilla(100) & cantalope(130) -- 500
Thurs
Cereal(220) w/toast(100) & butter(35) -- 355
Mac & Cheese(220) & apple(80) -- 300
Breaded Salmon(185), Mashed Potatoes(160), Corn(80) & Breadsticks(110) -- 535
Fri
Oatmeal(140) w/honey(44) -- 184
Sammiches(230) w/pringles(150) -- 380
Sweet & Sour Chicken(345) w/breadsticks(110) -- 455
Extra
Grilled Cheese Sammich(250) & Chicken Noodle Soup(120) -- 370
Snacks
Fat Free Jello Pudding, chocolate & vanilla(80), Yogurt(110), Flavored rice cakes(50), Popcorn(140), Nutri-grain Bar(140), Crackers(120), Cheddar cheese snack(90), Beef Jerky(30), Cookie Pack(100)
Recipes
Sweet & Sour Chicken
1/2 cup of uncooked rice
2 tbl canola oil
4 tbl sweet and sour sauce
1/2 pound chicken tenders, cut into small pieces and breaded lightly
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger
1 cup chicken broth
6 cups of bite size pieces of vetables (fresh or frozen;thawed) such as peas, broccoli, bell peppers
1- 5 oz can of chopped water chestnuts, drained
Combine rice and 1 cup of chicken broth/stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered until rice is done. (20 min white rice, 1 hour brown rice usually, check package) Meanwhile, heat 1 tbl oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove from pan and set aside. Add 1 tbl of oil to pan, add garlic, ginger and cook for 20-30 seconds. Add vegetables, reduce heat and simmer until veggies are cooked to desired tenderness. Add sweet and sour sauce and chicken. Heat through and serve on top of rice. Serves 2.
'Fried' Rice
1 bag of Bird's Eye Steamfresh rice w/veggies of your choice.
4 slices of turkey bacon, cooked, chopped
2 flour tortillas
4 tbl sweet and sour sauce
Cook Steamfresh according to instructions. Remove from bag and place in medium bowl. Mix in bacon and sweet & sour sauce. Slice tortillas into quarters and serve with rice.
Grocery List
I've taken a page from emealz book and put the list in several sections. Items needed for the meals in the first column. Staple items in the second column which you may or may not already have. And snacks in the third column, which you may or may not have from the week before or you have your own list of snacks or whatever.
Next week I'll keep better track of brands that we get and make note of it. I'd also like to note that we buy all our meats, fish and cheeses from Costco so that cuts down on our grocery bill quite a bit. Especially the salmon. One bag of salmon is between 15-$20 but it lasts us a good 6 months. One piece can be divided between two people as long as you accompany it with enough sides. Anyways...apologies in advance if I miss an ingredient here and there.
List:
--Meats--
Ground beef or turkey 1lb
Deli Meat
Chicken Breasts (2 needed for this week)
Salmon
Turkey Bacon
--Baked Goods--
Bread
Hamburger buns
Flour tortillas medium
--Boxed/Canned--
Cereal x2
Oatmeal, Plain
Chili
Mac & Cheese
Spaghetti noodles
Spaghetti Sauce
Pringles
White Rice
Instant Mashed Potatoes
Whole Kernel Corn
Chicken Stock/Broth
Chicken Noodle Soup
--Refrigerated--
Yogurt x10
Milk x2gallons
Cheese Slices
Pillsbury breadsticks
Crystal Lite flavor packets
--Frozen--
Tator Tots
Steamfresh rice w/veggies
1 bag frozen mixed stir fry type veggies
Frozen Juice Concentrate x4
--Produce--
Lettuce
Apple x2
Lite Caesar Salad kit
Cantalope
Pears x2
Minced Garlic (I buy a small jar of it cause it's easier than chopping garlic yourself)
Staples:
Butter
Honey
Mayo
Pickles
Fish Breading (I get chicken and fish breading from the 1$ isle at Price Chopper in Bonner)
Canola Oil
Sweet & Sour Sauce (We use La Choy)
Ginger
Snacks:
Crackers
Nutri-grain bar
Fat Free Jello Pudding
Flavored rice cakes
Popcorn
Nutri-grain Bar
Crackers
Cheddar cheese snack
Beef Jerky
100 Calorie Cookie Packs
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Chili Rubbed Tilapia
I'm normally not terribly interested in fish dishes. I cook and serve them because they're good for you but I always have a small portion. But this chili-rubbed tilapia was delicious! Matt told me three or four times that he really liked it and it was really tasty. Definitely doing that meal again in the future! It's amazing what just a little bit of spice will do! Tilapia is a pretty cheap fish so it's not a budget buster or anything. And I've noticed that fish in general are really low calorie. I highly recommend this one! The recipe is on this week's meal plans just a few posts down.
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