Yesterday Marcel went to the Friday market to pick up these little specialty cookies that everyone at home absolutely drools over. Our area is the only place that sells them, so when he bought six bags of them, the guy commented that it looked like Marcel was going to have a party. Marcel laughed and explained to him that these cookies were famous outside of our area and that we were taking them with us on vacation. He laughed and said, “Yeah, right.” Marcel was serious and told him so. He was amazed and then handed Marcel two new specialty cookies. Very large heart shaped cookies with one half dipped in chocolate. We’re taking one home with us but the other we shared. I think it’s better than the originals- and I didn’t think that was possible.
November 13, 2010
October 21, 2010
Mashed Potatoes
I made the BEST mashed potatoes tonight! I sauteed some onions with thyme- then added a little apple to the onion mixture. I pureed some potatoes with a little fat-free milk and then added the apple mixture to the potatoes. From there I sprinkled a few roasted walnut pieces and some freshly grated parmesean. DEE-LISH! That was comfort food at it’s finest. I had a few grilled shrimp and steamed green beans with it and I’m stuffed to the brim. MMM
October 15, 2010
Quick and Healthy Meal
Marcel had leftover casserole tonight and I decided that since there wasn’t enough for two of us, I’d whip up something fast for myself. I happen to think that the best weight loss supplements consist of eating healthy, whole foods and with that in mind I sliced two zucchini, a yellow bell pepper and sauteed them in a teaspoon of olive oil. I cooked some whole grain elbow macaroni, then added some chopped shrimp to the zucchni mixture. When they were done, I added some fat-free Greek Yogurt and a little cayenne and granulated garlic. I mixed it all together and voila’ – a quick, healthy meal.
September 16, 2010
For those of you who read my other blog- you know that last Sunday I roasted a pumpkin. I decided that it may be fun to keep the seeds and try to roast them, so I looked up a recipe online and decided to give it a try.
The recipe was pretty simple.
Rinse the seeds and make sure the pulp was gone (boy are those seeds slimy little suckers), mix them with a little oil and salt, roast in the oven at about 325 making sure that you stir every little while.
I decided to add a little salt, pepper and granulated garlic just to see what it would taste like and I have to say that at one point I was wondering if it was ever going to start ‘roasting’. It seemed like a slimy mess, but after about a half hour I 
was satisfied with the way they looked and removed them from the oven. I wasn’t sure how they would taste and I was prepared to shell them, because that’s how I’ve always eaten pumpkin seeds, but these shells were so tender that you could just pop them in your mouth and enjoy. There weren’t that many but I’ve been munching on them here and there. and I love them. The plus side is that they’re also great for you.
Marcel didn’t care for them, but when I get another pumpkin, you can be sure that I’ll be roasting those seeds as well. I have them stored in an airtight container and they’re staying crispy. You should try some if you find yourself with a bunch of pumpkin seeds.
Breakfast of Champions
In case you ever wondered what my breakfast looks like each morning- I know that it definitely doesn’t look very appetizing, but I can assure you that it is. In addition, it’s also healthy. You may be asking yourself what it is, and in case you’re stopping by this little spot for the first time and don’t know about my love affair with this product- I’ll tell you what it is- steel-cut oats. These little gems aren’t to be confused with regular oats, which taste different. In fact, I only like rolled oats in cookies and muffins, but steel-cut is a horse of an entirely different color.
This is how I eat them every morning- With a little cinnamon, a little fat-free milk and the white stuff on top is a French Vanilla Splenda stick. Generally the package says they are for coffee, but one little stick is perfect for oats. MMMmm MmmmM goodness.
What do you eat for breakfast? Do you tend to eat the same thing daily or do you switch it up to have a little variety?
August 4, 2010
Obvious, or not?
I was watching something today that talked about how people complain about how it costs more to eat healthy but yet they spend money on more useless things than ever.
Research has shown that if you buy fresh, unprocessed foods that your grocery bill may be a little higher, but your cost of healthcare or health related issues will be lower than those who eat cheaper, but more processed foods.
Which would you choose? The answer should be obvious.
May 26, 2010
What’s For Dinner?
I mentioned yesterday that Marcel and I had rescued the electric BBQ grill that our neighbors tossed out when they split up. It sat in our storage shed for a couple of weeks until he cleaned it up this past Sunday with intentions of using it sometime in the near future.
Well, the near future came sooner than I anticipated when we decided yesterday to pick up some goodies to toss on the grill last night for dinner. I bought a zucchini that I grilled, plus we grilled some sausage (that Marcel ate) plus some ground sirloin burgers. They were SO good. The grill worked much better than I anticipated and the food was ready within 15 minutes. I’d thought to wrap the grill pan in aluminium foil beforehand, so clean up was a snap.
Tonight’s menu will feature tostadas. They are easy and delicious, plus clean up is easy.
What are you having for dinner?
May 13, 2010
Because I promised- Mmm Mmm Good
I mentioned in a previous entry that I’d bought some shredded carrots earlier in the week with the idea that I’d make some carrot cake muffins. Of course, that was before we knew we were going away for the weekend and I’ve been more than a little busy today. I had grand ideas of creating my own recipe, but since I really didn’t have time for that, I actually adapted a recipe that I found, and they turned out great.
Below is the finished product, and once I have a little more time, I’ll share the recipe on SimplyWizardress.
The recipe made 12, but as you can see one is missing. I had to sample the finished product, and I’m impressed. This recipe is a definate keeper.
As If I Didn’t Have Enough to Do
As if I didn’t have enough to do to get ready for our trip away, I’d forgotten that a few days ago I bought some shredded carrots in hopes of making a carrot muffin recipe. The idea was to create my own recipe, but now that I’m running a little short of time, I’ve decided to modify someone elses recipe. The recipe actually sounds devine with grated carrots, apple and coconut, but I’m going to cut the oil and add apple sauce, plus use olive oil as opposed to corn oil. I’m also going to use whole wheat flour as opposed to white. I’ll keep y’all posted on how they turn out, but I thought they’d be great to take with us this weekend. If they don’t look too scary- I’ll add a picture, and even share the recipe in another post.
May 10, 2010
The “Skinny” on Eating Out Without Derailing Your Efforts
In my journey to a healthier lifestyle and to shed myself of the pounds, one of the things that I have found to be the most challenging is eating out. When I am at home and whipping up something in the kitchen, I know what I’m cooking, exactly what ingredients are going into what I eat, and it’s easy to formulate the calorie content. Going out for dinner and reading a menu can be like trying to find your way through the jungle. The good thing is, most restaurants now offer an online menu with nutritional information, so if you plan ahead, you can decide what you want before you get there, and not be faced with any distractions. If that isn’t the case, there are actually words that should send up red flags when you are ordering and wanting to make healthy choices, becasue more often than not, these words mean unhealthy choices.
Since SparkPeople shared those words with me today, I thought it would be great to spread the wealth and share them with you.
Watch out for these Words when Reading the Menu:
- Breaded
- Fried-Deep Fried
- Creamed- Creamy
- Béarnaise or hollandaise
- White sauce
- Crispy
- Cheesy
- Buttery
- Loaded
- Bottomless
- “Bet you can’t finish it.”
- Au gratin
- Country Style
- Volcano
As you can see there is quite a list, but luckily there is also a list of healthy words to watch for that generally indicates that the item is a healthier option. Those words are:
Healthier Words to Watch for:
- Steamed
- Reduced
- Baked
- Marinated
- Seasoned
- Fat-Free
- Whole Wheat
- Multi-grain
- Vegetarian
- Light
- High Fiber
- Fresh
- Red Sauce
- Vinaigrette
With a little plannning you can stay on track with healthy eating even when you eat out. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t deprive yourself and never have a treat, but it means that eating out doesn’t have to derail your efforts. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for substitutions. Some restaurants may charge a small fee, but I don’t mind paying extra for a baked potato instead of having french fries. The calories and fat start adding up when you make little changes.