Friday, January 22, 2010

P-I-Z-Z-A!!! And yes even this can be good for you:)

Okay time for another recipe:) Kelcey and I had this before our date last week and it turned out so beautifully I took a picture and decided to post about it. We ate at the counter with the lights dimmed and a vase of flowers. Another one of our goals is to eat out less for dates, well...just eat out less in general. It was actually really fun to cook together and not worry about the kids. I would highly recommend it. This recipe serves 4 
There are a few variations with this recipe. I used my homemade spaghetti sauce that was leftover. The key is to make a lot and then freeze it in 1 cup tupperware, the ones I use are in the rectangle shape with the purple lid. You can just buy your own marinara sauce, just be sure to get the kind without sugar, if they make it:) We usually do a pizza Friday, I need to give a shout-out to Kourtney (my sister-in-law) who does this at her house. My kids love it so thanks!  Now I also make my own 100% whole wheat pizza dough. It's so fast and cheap so it's the only way to go for us. One cup of whole wheat flour =400ish calories. That is the amount of flour I used to make this crust so 1/4 of this pizza, just with the dough, is 200 calories. If you want to go less buy a 100% whole wheat pita bread, the flat round ones. I think pita bread is only 75 calories per serving. In other words you could eat more, or add more toppings, your choice. I, however, am not a fan of pita bread so I stick to my pizza dough. I continue to try it though;) You never know, maybe one day I'll like it.

100% Whole Wheat Pizza Dough:
1 c. whole wheat flour (buy it in bulk and you'll save$)
1/3 c. 80 degree water
1 tsp. yeast
1/8 tsp. salt, or just guess (you don't need a lot)
  • pour yeast into water
  • mix flour and salt
  • when yeast is dissolved add to flour. I sometimes don't like to wait so I get a spoon and mix it. I know, that's a culinary no no, but I just want to get it done, and you know what, my dough ALWAYS turns out. 
  • You may need to add a little more flour or water. You want the dough to come off your hands, but have it moist enough that it's soft and sticks together.
  • Kneed the dough into a ball (I use a kitchen aid) and when it's done kneed just a little longer and place it back in the bowl. Cover with cling wrap, and a dish towel. If you're in a big hurry pre-heat your oven, turn it off, open the door, and slide the bowl in there. It'll rise very quickly without cooking it, just watch the kids and pets, since the door needs to remain open.
I know I have a lot of cheats, but I don't like sitting around all day. You could start early, but I never do, so this is the way it is:)

Toppings:
1 c. marinara sauce
1/4 c. mozzarella cheese
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1 green onion chopped
1/2 c. broccoli
1/2 c. grilled chicken. (Mine was pre-made and frozen, so just defrost it)
  • spread sauce over raw rolled out dough
  • Top with veggies, and then the cheese
  • cook at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, or until cheese bubbles
  • Slice into quarters and enjoy!
On the side add 1 cup of salad with olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. This is our favorite salad. We have one every night. And a big glass of ice water with a squeeze of lemon or lime. This meal equals around 350 calories, give or take a few. My totals are never exact. They are always ball park. 

As you can see I pre-make a lot of my foods. If I make spaghetti, I ALWAYS make extra sauce because we always use it. That's with any sauce. I make my own enchilada sauce too, and always double the recipe. If I make chicken I'll grill a lot of it, slice it up and freeze it, or put it in the refrigerator for a chicken wrap for lunch the next day. It makes dinners fast and easy. And I never have to wonder what I'm going to eat for lunch because it's always ready. That's the trick really. Eating healthy just takes a little more planning. Remember to start small. Start with eating a very healthy breakfast in the morning. For example a regular breakfast for me is 1/2 cup dry whole oats (oatmeal) cooked in the microwave, then add 1/4 cup frozen blueberries (190 calories), and 1 whole egg with 2 whites(110 calories). I make sure to have protein with my breakfast because it reduces sugar cravings. Which I struggle with A LOT. It's always worse if I don't get my protein fix in the morning.

You could also increase your water consumption. I drink a gallon a day. What you'll find is when you "think" you're hungry, you're actually thirsty. A good way get your water in is drink 1 cup before and after every meal (if you're eating 5-6 meals that is). Try to get a half gallon down before noon every day. You'll have to pee a TON at first, but your body will regulate. If you just started here you would feel very different.

Give me a shout out if you would like to know anything in particular...here's to healthy eating:)
 

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Recipe of the Week

I have been thinking a great deal about how I can help my readers of this blog to not only exercise, but eat right as well. Because losing weight, getting fit, and feeling great is about 20% exercise and 80% food. The things we put in our mouth determine our results. Nutrition is not easy, especially if you have grown accustomed to your regular diet, but with small changes you can be eating better and FEELING better and LOOKING better than ever. And those workouts that COMPLETELY wipe you out will have their reward because you are eating the proper foods in the proper amounts. I am always tweaking and fixing because eating healthy takes practice and I am ALWAYS and FOREVER  a work in progress. However, I want to share the things I use and have used to get me there. My body rewards me when I eat well. And THAT is worth it! 
Now I want to dispel a myth. Eating well is NOT starving yourself. What I will share with you are solid, healthy foods. I eat between 2200-2400 calories a day depending on how I feel. I eat that much because I am very active. I NEVER EVER go hungry! It's not good for you and it defeats the purpose of living a healthy, fit life.  Nor will your body let go of fat if you are in starvation mode, not a good place to be, and the fastest way to hit a plateau. I eat 5-6 small nutritious meals a day, and I DON'T spend hours in the kitchen. I have 3 kids for heavens sake so I don't have time for that, nor do I think many people do. So I use protein powder, protein bars (which I make:), and buy, it just depends), left overs from the night before, and Shakeology (it's my supplement and meal and I don't go a day without it SERIOUSLY!) Okay with that said...

We are going to go over portion size. On the left is one of my dinner plates. On the right is a salad plate. We use the salad plates for the kids and for myself. I haven't converted Kelcey yet, but I'm working on it. And those little hands are Kody's. He had to be involved. Now I use a salad plate whenever I can. It keeps me honest, and it fools your brain into thinking you have a ton of food on your plate. For those of you just starting I would recommend starting here. Try portion sizing everything at first.


This was my lunch today and the first meal I am featuring. Before you start calling "FIBBER" on me with my "easy meal talk" earlier, these are left-overs from last nights meal. I just added steamed vegies instead of salad. So this meal took me 10 minutes maybe to throw together. And it's on my salad plate, so see it totally looks like a TON of food. What you're looking at is 3/4 C whole wheat pasta, 1 ground turkey meatball sliced in half, and 1_1/4 C. steamed vegies, with a pinch of salt and pepper. This meal equals about 350 calories. I make my own sauce so there is no sugar and that recipe will be for another day. Today I am going to tell you how to make the ground turkey meatballs. 

This is what I use. It is ground turkey breast, no dark meat or skin in there. You can get this at Winco for $3.19/lb. It's the cheapest I've found ground turkey breast EVER, but it's worth it. I rarely use ground beef anymore. I like to cut corners on fat and especially saturated fat. My kids love it and so do I soooo yummy.

1lb. ground turkey breast
10 saltine crackers
2-3Tbs. grated parmesan cheese
Salt, pepper, and granulated garlic. (I just guess with this so I'm not sure on the measurements, so take a good guess on what would taste good for you and go for it, but careful on the salt:) Next time I'll add a little hot red pepper for some spice, and some Italian seasoning. I'll let you know how it turns out. I like to experiment:) 
  • Blend all together like a meat loaf
  • roll into 8 meat balls or do 4 LARGE meat balls (1 serving= 4 oz or 120 calories. There are 4 servings in one 1lb package, so you decide what works for you)
  • spray broiler pan with non-stick spray
  • place in the oven on High Broil a few inches from the heat
  • It cooks for about 6 minutes, turn meat balls over, cook another 6 minutes, or until completely done (no pink)
  • Place meat balls in prepared sauce and simmer in the crock pot all day until dinner
So there you have it. I haven't always been a fan of whole wheat pasta, but if I don't like something I try it until I do. I don't like being picky because it limits what I can eat. Anyway I made both kinds of pasta white and whole wheat, just to reduce the shock factor in the house, and you know what...my kids preferred the whole wheat! AWESOME! It actually wasn't that bad this time. I got the whole wheat spaghetti in the bulk foods section at Winco, and it's the best whole wheat pasta I've tried. Kelcey didn't even mind it, which is saying a lot. He still prefers white, but I'll get him converted don't you worry:) He'll have to because that's all I will buy now. You gotta go with what the kids will eat, right? Perhaps next time I will go over making your own spaghetti sauce. Until next time...Here's to healthy eating


 



Tuesday, January 5, 2010

A New Year

I am feeling very optimistic about this year. I have a good feeling that it's going to be pretty fantastic. I have my goals set and I am running toward them. As I've mentioned before I am a work in progress, but it's the work part that gives us the most learning and blessings. And it's the progress that allows us to reflect and adjust our course or continue full steam ahead. Upon reflection I found that I fell short on a lot of goals, but I also sky rocketed in others. The good news is that I am the one at the wheel, and I get to decide what I want this year to look like. Elder Jeffery R. Holland said, "Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away." But I will take it one step further, what if by keeping our eyes on our dreams the distance actually shortened? Those dreams become reality, right now? Isn't it possible that by keeping focused on the road ahead we can actually see those dreams sooner than later? I look to the future with optimism. All those things I've held on a pedestal can actually be mine by taking small, daily steps and by walking with God. I've come to realize that I cannot be on this journey by myself, nor do I want to. I require the guidance and inspiration from my Heavenly Father. One of my goals is to develop a strong relationship with Him. To know Him as my Father, and to develop a faith in Him that I have lacked in the past. It's a funny thing faith...where there is faith there is no fear, or doubt. It was about 3 weeks ago that I made the commitment to develop all the attributes of Christ. If you're interested, those attributes can be found in "Preach My Gospel" and there is a guide on how to develop them. By no means do I expect to have them perfected, but to me it is work that creates learning and blessings. And then I will reflect, adjust, and then get back to work.

I will not bore you with all my goals this year, but I will tell you that they encompass all areas of my life...spiritual, physical, emotional, and financial. This year already feels vastly different than years before. I have a focused plan, and vision, perhaps that is the reason.

I hope all of you have your goals written down because they are more likely to happen if they are written with a plan to accomplish them. I am keeping my eye on the ball. Bring on 2010!