Super Healthy and Yummy Snack!

Ok so eating healthy really isn't that difficult if you have enough time and money.  HOWEVER, since I am poor and super busy then it is sometimes hard for me.  I have found that if I prepare a few things when I have time then I can save them and eat them later.  This is especially helpful when it gets to be mid morning and mid afternoon when my blood sugar is low and I am considering attacking the vending machine.  

To enjoy this recipe you have to like the following:

A. Fresh berries (check)

B. Greek Yogurt (check)

C. Snacking (check check)

All you need is berries (I normally use blueberries), greek yogurt (I like the honey vanilla), and access to a freezer.

Step 1: wash berries.  (I used raspberries and blackberries as Kroger was out of blueberries)

Step 2: Dry them thoroughly.  If they are wet then the yogurt will not stick to them.

Step 3: Find a pan and cover it with a non stick surface like wax paper or foil.  I have a Silpat, so I use that.  If you do not own one, you should buy one!  They are amazing and your cookies, salmon, etc will never burn!

Step 4: Using a toothpick, dip a single berry into the yogurt.  Make sure to coat it thoroughly and then place it on the pan.  Repeat this until all berries are gone.  I find that one container of yogurt works for a box of berries. 

Once you are done place them in the freezer for a few hours.  The pop em off and eat em right away!  Or you can put them in a plastic bag and take them with you to work.  When eaten right away they are like a delicious hard candy.  If you eat them at work in the afternoon they are still cold but not nearly as hard.  I prefer them right outta the freezer.  YUM!

Thanks for reading!  Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions.

PS - Holding strong at 15 pounds lost!  I am just glad I didn't gain when in Vegas.  Let's see if I can't get to 20 by tax day.

Sweet Potato Deliciousness

If you are like me (someone with a HUGE sweet tooth) then you often crave something sweet.  Since my new lifestyle change does not permit me to eat a whole roll of cookies like I used to, I have had to find other ways to cure my cravings.  What do Ido?  I fix sweet potatoes.  They are so good and not at all terrible for you!  Plus they are pretty darn easy and almost impossible to screw up.  Here are some of the health benefits that sweet potatoes posses:

1. They are high in vitamin B6.
2. They are a good source of vitamin C.
3. They contain Vitamin D which is critical for immune system and overall health at this time of year. 
4. Sweet potatoes contain iron. 
5. Sweet potatoes are a good source of mag­nesium, which is the relaxation and anti-stress mineral.
   
6. They are a source of potassium, one of the important electrolytes that help regulate heartbeat and nerve signals.
7. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet-tasting but their natural sugars are slowly released into the bloodstream, helping to ensure a balanced and regular source of energy, without the blood sugar spikes linked to fatigue and weight gain.
8. Their rich orange colour indicates that they are high in carotenoids like beta carotene and other carotenoids, which is the precursor to vitamin A in your body.  Carotenoids help strengthen our eyesight and boost our immunity to disease, they are powerful antioxidants that help ward off cancer and protect against the effects of aging. 
9. There are versatile. Try them roasted, puréed, steamed, baked, or grilled. You can add them to soups and stews, or grill and place on top of leafy greens for a delicious salad.
   

And all this is just SOME of the amazing things they can do!


So, go grab a couple of sweet potatoes, wash em off, and poke holes in em.  (use a fork, stab 4-5 times).  The put em in the microwave for 5 minutes.  The holes allow the sweet potatoes to steam from the inside out.  Resulting in perfects bakes sweet potatoes!  The cut em half like so:

Now you can peel them and eat them with a bit of salt, or you can do what I do.  I cut em up and spray "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" on them and add a touch of brown sugar.  You only need a TINY bit of this as the sweet potatoes are naturally sweet.  Enjoy!  

Om nom nom so good!  


A medium sweet potato has less than 100 calories so you will be in the clear even if you decide to eat both!


As far as the lifestyle change is going Iam doing pretty well!  Ido not notice a change physically but the scale says I have lost 15 pounds, so Iam a happy girl!


15 pounds down!!

Low Fat Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I have been CRAVING mexican food all week kids, like seriously.  And not the greasy kind, but the real fresh delicious kind. Now normally I would just stop by one of the many mexican restaurants in town to buy something fried and covered in cheese.  This usually leads to judging by the people that work there as they wonder how one person could eat 5 tacos.  Sometimes I ask for 2 sets of plasticware so it SEEMS like Iam heading over to my handsome boyfriends house to bring him tacos, because Iam the best girlfriend ever !  But, since i have decided to change my habits, i knew this could not happen.  So, I decided to make something myself.

I had chicken enchiladas a couple of weeks ago and they were really good, so I wanted to create something similar.  I stopped off at the supermarket (I go to the Kroghetto in Frasier.), and a few ingredients (some I had at home):

1 bag frozen chicken breast (recipe calls for 3 breasts)
1 cup fat free plain yogurt
1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 bag 6-inch corn tortillas (recipe calls for 6)
1 bag shredded cheddar cheese (recipe calls for 1 cup)
1 bag shredded mozzarella (recipe calls for 1 cup)
1 can red enchilada sauce (I use mild but they have hot too)
1 can diced green chiles

* Side-note - The Kroger in Frasier (with it's hand-painted wooden sign) does not stock ricotta cheese.  Apparently that is something Memphians do not normally eat.  The woman in the cheese section (if you can call a place that carries 4 types of cheese, one of which is American, a cheese section) asked me where it came from.  When I told her I was pretty sure it was Italian she giggled.  GIGGLED!  How dare she mock my love of Italian cuisine.  Luckily I remembered I had some at home.

I headed home and got to work.

First, I set the chicken to boil on the stove.  I like boiling them when frozen, it is just SO EASY!  And we know I am all about easy (bow chica wow wow!). Hehe. Yes, I am 12 (an immature 12).

Next I set out to create my filling.  I combined the yogurt, ricotta, and 2 cheeses in a large bowl (setting aside a bot of the cheese to sprinkle on top).  I mixed it all together (I use my hands, yes it is weird, but it is easier!  PLUS it feels all squishy and weird). I was totally that kid on halloween that loved the way the peeled grapes felt.  You know the ones that were supposed to be eyeballs?  No?  Awesome.

I set that aside and checked on the chicken.  It wasn't quite done yet so I sat down to read.  A little bit later I checked on the chicken again.  I cut one open and they were perfect!  I put them in a bowl in the freezer to cool them off really fast before I could shred them.  A few minutes later I shredded them and added them to the cheese mixture.  I then took a tortilla and immersed it in the sauce, placing it on the bottom of the pan.  I repeated this step again so that the bottom of the pan had 2 tortillas covered in sauce side by side.  I then spread half of the mixture over the tortillas.

I completed this process again, then topped it off with a final layer of tortillas.  SO I had a tortilla layer, then spread, tortilla, spread, tortilla.  Everyone got it?  No? Well I am moving on anyway.  I then poured the rest of the sauce over the top and sprinkled the remaining cheese over it.  I added the chiles and it was ready for the oven!  If you don;t like chiles (because you are a CRAZY PERSON) feel free to omit them or add something else (even though this recipe is perfection).

20-30 minutes is all it takes in the oven and it is ready to be eaten!  Although I might let it sit out a little...seeing as it just spend 30 minutes cooking at 350 degrees.  Totally a judgment call (I took a bite right away because I have terrible judgment, just ask my mom...or my parole officer).

I wasn't expecting to love it since it is low fat and honestly, anyone who tells you low fat is as good as real fat is a liar.  Except me...cause it was SO GOOD!

Idid the math (cause Iam super smart AND the best at being humble) and it is only 194 calories per serving!  The pan serves 8.  I gave K a piece and she really liked it, even saying she was full after just one serving.  HUZZAH!

So, the moral of this story is that you do not have to have high fat to have high flavor.  You can use unconventional ingredients to make delicious food if you know what you are doing (or even if you don't, which is the case here).

Food network here I come!!  Next stop, cohost with Tyler Florence.  We will call our show "The Florences Do Dinner," oh did I forget to mention we would be married?  Well we would be.  Cause we are in love...he just doen't know about it yet.

Let me know if you like the recipe, and if you have any good ones to share!

PS - Lost 2 more pounds in the last 4 days.  BOOM!

Buckling Down

I decided that it was time to get serious about weight loss when I realized how others saw me.  When I look in the mirror I see someone completely different from what I see in pictures.  Having never been low on self-esteem, I have always thought myself beautiful.  Unfortunately, this woman does not appear in photos.  When I look at pictures of myself I see a pretty face, but my body does not match what I see in my mind.  I want to look as great as I feel. 

I also promised my mother that I would get healthy.  Having disappointed her countless times in the past, I really want to do a good job losing weight now.  I know she loves me and is worried about my health, so I need to make her proud.

Also, I really want to find someone to spend my life with and I feel I will not be ready to do this until I feel comfortable in my own skin.  

With that feeling goes the need to have kids.  As I enter my late 20's I feel more and more the pull of wanting children.  I know I want to be a Mom but I also want to be able to play and run with my children.  This will be a lot easier once I become healthy.

Lastly, I would LOVE to wear cute clothes and be stylish.  But this is very hard when you are a size 22.  So, I wanna get healthy and then I might break the bank shopping!

I would appreciate any words of wisdom or encouraging stories.  Here is to a lifelong journey! 

Prodigal Daughter Returns!

Hello fair readers (not that there is really anyone reading this). I have been terrible about posting lately.  This is for a few reasons; I am busy, I am lazy, I have been a bad dieter, I didn't wanna.

I have had a rough March so far peeps.  Breakups and makeups and breakups again, family drama, bad news, etc.  So I went to a sad place.  I call this place...chocolate mountain.  "But Abby," I am sure you are thinking, "chocolate mountain sounds like a grand place!  Where rivers of hot fudge run alongside hillsides of chocolate bark and mountains topped with delicious snow caps (like from the movie theater, remember?)  It must be wonderful!"  Well in actuality it is more like someone buying 2 pieces of cake for themselves, or cookies you say you will save for later but end up eating all together in the car right after you purchase them.  It is not a pretty place....but it is wonderful.  Wonderful if you are full of self pity and hate...which I so often am.  So I decided to screw my diet and eat whatever I wanted because I was sad and feeling all alone.  What was the result?  Well once I came out of my sugar induced 2 week coma (sponsored byt Muddy's Cupcakes and Blue Bell ice cream) I realized that I was going about this the wrong way!  I did not need to self destruct, instead I could accomplish things I had neglected.  I took this complete and utter lack of a social life as a cue to get things done.

I began by cleaning (which I hate to do, but felt needed to be done). I even cleaned under my bed!  It was a frightful experience.  Then I organized, even creating my own photo albums on mixbook.com.  FInally, I got the heck outta dodge and went home for a couple of days.  I took this opportunity to cut off 12 inches of hair and donate it.  I returned to Memphis feeling like a new woman!

Having returned from the dark (dark chocolate..mmmmm) side I am still 5 pounds lighter than I was when I began this voyage.  But I gained almost all of my weight back.  Realizing that this is a minor setback, I am determined to work even harder from now on.

One of the main driving forces here is my Mom.  I promised her I would be more healthy, and every southern girl knows that you should NEVER break a promise to your mama.

SO here I go again.  Waking up at 6 to go running and passing out on my computer at around 1030pm from sheer exhaustion.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Stay tuned for more adventures in dieting!

PS - If anyone would like to go walking with me on the island between the hours of 545-7am and 4-6 pm I would love the company!  Either of those times works for me.

No clue as to the date

Hello blog readers!  Sorry I have done an extra terrible job of updating, life as a habit of getting in the way and all that.

Anywho, I have been pretty good about my diet, I did have some Easter colored M&M's earlier this week.  Worth it though!  I have been sick for the past few weeks, which means I have not felt like working out at all.  In any way.  Instead I have been sleeping a lot and drinking tons of fluids.  Now that I am feeling better I will be doing a lot of exercising, I actually miss it!  Who would have thought that I would miss working out?  Not this kid.  Unfortunately with the being sick I have backslided on the weight.  I have been eating a ton of carbs for energy and since that seemed to be the only thing I found appetizing.  I am now back to only 10 pounds down.  This will not stand!  I hate that I gained some back.  UNACCEPTABLE!

I run into an issue of time, but I have decided that I will just have to make it work.  For example, today I get off of work at 330 and will be going straight home to run and walk.  I will not let this beat me!  I am way too strong to be beaten by anything.

What's really sad is that it has taken me this long to realize what a problem my weight is.  I have always been told that I have a pretty face, and I guess I figured that was enough.  But you know what?  I desperately want to be able to shop at Banana Republic without feeling sad that I can't wear their dresses.  I want to be one of those people who is proud of their body, not hiding it in mom jeans and sweaters.  I have never really had an issue with confidence on the outside, but secretly I am wildly insecure.  I worry people will judge me, not like me, talk about me.  As I have gotten older I have realized how ridiculous this is.  Some people will never like you, and those who do should like you for who you truly are.

I know this is a process, and that I won't lose 100 pounds in 2 months or anything that crazy.  But I have always been a results person, I like immediate gratification.  I have never been a patient woman.

Yes, I am embarrassed by my weight.  But you know what is really scary?  What if I lose this weight and I do not have a pretty face.  Or if I try to lose the weight and I cannot do it?  I hate disappointing others, especially those that I love.  So I am scared that if I try and fail then I will have no one to blame but myself.

I know this sounds like a lot of complaining, and this blog is one of empowerment not self pity.  Any words of wisdom would be great

Days 17-34

So the diet is going well, but I am stuck at 18 pound lost.  This is because of 2 things; 1. I have been sick and haven;t been working out as much and 2. I think the initial drop off is over.  I have been eating well but goodness knows I am craving some chocolate in the WORST way.  The coconut chocolate mousse has become a staple!

I went to a wine party last weekend and made an amazing pesto and sun dried tomato bruschetta.  Not this isn't super healthy for you, but it isn't awful either.  It involves pesto, which is high in fat but it is good fat.  Here is your recipe!

Bruschetta with Pesto, Mozzarella, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 French baguette , cut into thin slices
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves , quartered
• 6 ounces mozzarella cheese , sliced very thin
• 4 -6 sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
• My pesto (recipe can e found in a previous post).  OR you can do what I did because I was short on time, and buy it pre-made.

TO DO!

1. Place the olive oil and the garlic in small bowl and let sit for at least 1/2 an hour; preheat the broiler; spread the bread slices on a baking sheet and then brush both sides with the olive oil; broil until golden on both sides (this will only take a couple of minutes).
   
   
   
   
   
2. 
   
   Place the tomatoes in a cup and cover with boiling water; after about 5 minutes, remove, pat dry and cut into long thin strips.
3. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Spread cooled brushetta with pesto of your choosing,
   
   
   
   
   
    a slice of mozzarella and a strip of sun-dried tomato.
4. 
   

I neglected to get a pic of the end product but it was AMAZING.  I added a bit of balsamic reduction on top and it was so good!  Happy eating.

Days 35

Here is a recipe that is not too terrible for you and that your friends will LOVE! I made it for the Super Bowl tomorrow.

Goat cheese stuffed mushrooms!!!!!

Some of the ingredients to make my amazing rosemary and goat cheese stuffed mushrooms.  Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.  make sure not to immerse them in water, simply brush the mushrooms with a damp cloth.  Toss me oil in a bowl with a bit of rosemary and put the mushrooms in.  Toss it around until they look well coated and put them cup down on a baking sheet.

Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool.

While that is cooking get started on the filling. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of oil.  Add a fresh rosemary sprig and cook over moderately high heat until the leaves crisp. Drain on paper towels then strip off the leaves.

Add the bread crumbs to the skillet and toast over moderately heat until golden crisp, about 2 minutes. stir in the fried rosemary leaves and season with salt and pepper.

Gently press a piece of goat cheese in the center of each mushroom, sprinkle with bread crumbs and serve.

These can be made ahead and served later!

Day 16

Today I was feeling a little adventurous, I wanted to try something new.  I had a ton of Kale and spinach in the fridge that was going to go bad, so I decided to try making chips out of it.  Preheat oven to 350. I started by breaking down the kale, this means removing it from the stalk and washing it.  Make sure to use a salad spinner to dry it.

Next, tear the kale into bite size pieces.  If you have pieces that are too small, put them aside and save them.  You can use them in salad but I plan to add them to my smoothies!  Place bite size pieces on a baking sheet that you have placed parchment paper upon.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  If you want you can use another oil, sunflower oil might work well.  It is possible to add another spice as well, maybe seasoned salt or chile powder.  Totally up to you!

Do not place kale too close together on baking sheet or they will all stick together.

Looks good to me!  Bake in oven until edges are brown, about 10-12 minutes.

Lookin good!  Place in a bowl and reuse parchment paper, no use killing more trees!

These are ready to eat as soon as they come out.  They are super tasty!  The kale has a pretty bold flavor which isn't for everyone so be aware.  I noticed I also had a half a bag of spinach that expired soon, so I thought I would toss those in as well.  This time I thought I would toss in oil before placing on the sheet.  I had a lot of spinach and a spoonful of oil was more than enough.

Place on baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes until edges are brown.  Remove and place in bowl.  I found that drizzling with oil worked better than tossing before hand, as the latter over saturated the leaves.

These can be stored in a freezer bag on the counter for up to a week.

So I had a side dish, but what did I want for my main course?  I remembered I had beautiful salmon that was going to go bad.  I cut the salmon and squeezed some lemon over the pieces.  I then added some lemon pepper seasoning and a touch of salt.  I made sure to rub in the seasoning and placed on a backing sheet lined with parchment paper.

I cooked the salmon at 450 for about 10 minutes.  They were still pink in the middle, but fish continues to cook when you remove it from the oven so I figured they would get to the right temperature if I took them out after 10 minutes.

Looks good to me!  And it tasted even better.

I also made some coconut chocolate mousse, but I have yet to eat it.  I think I am gonna add in some strawberry and banana pieces when I eat it, how can you go wrong with fresh fruit?

You can't! :-)

Days 11-15

The past few days have been busy as per usual.  I have not done a great job of working out, finding that I value an extra hour of sleep over working out.  I made up for that today by walking all over downtown, and am thinking that tomorrow I will get up to work out.  The only issue is that I have done something to my back, causing a shooting pain all down my left leg that is accompanied by numbness.  Odd. I spoke to a doctor, who told me to be extra careful when working out these next few days.

Aaaaanyway, I weighed myself today and have lost 12 pounds in the past 2 weeks, heck yeah! I think the portion control and cutting out bad foods has had a lot to do with it.  So I am gonna keep trying!  I had a pretty great weekend with close college friends from out of town.  We ate some amazing food, a lot of which is below.  Don't worry, I was good with portion control as well as fat content, except for the small piece of cake I had at dinner.  I have been really good lately so I think I deserved it! Haha

The above food was lovingly and artfully prepared by my friend Jimmy on Friday.  It was delicious!  Black beans, corn, and corn/beef enchiladas.  Save for the sauce (which I didn't get much of) I think that this dish was relatively healthy.  I was also sure to eat a spinach salad and drink water with the meal.

Last night for dinner we went to Acre, a relatively new restaurant in town that serves upscale contemporary fusion cuisine.  It was delicious!!  First I had the lobster lasagna which was fairly healthy, save for the sauce.  I find that sauce is usually the part of the meal with the most calories, so ask for it on the side or get light sauce.

I got a smaller potion of the gnocchi for my main meal, since I had already had an appetizer.  I was also careful not to eat too much bread, it isn't great for you and fills you up too fast.  The gnocchi had a brown sauce, fresh green beans, tomatoes, and chanterelle mushrooms (my fave!). The portion was very filling and so good!

I also had a cocktail, a berry martini.  This was just vodka (100 calories per shot) and a berry puree, which was just pureed fruit! Not too fattening and SO GOOD.  Seriously, go to Acre and get it.  You will not be sorry.

I was craving something sweet after my meal, so I ordered the chocolate desert.  It was small but packed with flavor and deliciousness.  It was my bad thing this week, and it was totally worth it!

This brings us to today.  I went walking downtown with a friend and got a great deal of exercise without even realizing!  We then went down to walk along the river, ending up climbing all the way down to touch the water.  We skipped rocks for awhile and I took this amazing photo:

There is no reason that you cannot enjoy your exercise!

It's been a touch couple of weeks with school and work stress, not to mention being careful to eat well at all times.  I cannot tell you how many times I have been stressed and wanting a big ole piece of chocolate cake.  Good thing I don't have it in the house! I know that if I buy a pint of ice cream to eat over a few weeks I will sit there and eat the whole thing.  So, no bad things for me!

Here's hoping for another 12 pounds, and many more!

Days 6-10

Sorry I have been so bad about posting, my life took a turn towards crazy once student teaching started.   I adore my job, and it has been great at keeping me occupied.  The keeping busy has been really great because it stops me from being bored and eating.  I hardly have time to sit, let alone think about eating.  There have been days, however, where I have come home and wanted to eat a huge piece of chocolate cake.  Have I done it?  No, but that's probably because I do not have any in the house.  I have learned that if I keep bad food in the house, then I will most likely eat it.  Although I am getting better, I do not have much will power. That is why teaching is great.  It isn't as if I can snack while I am teaching, especially since I do not allow my students to eat in class.

When I started my student teaching I noticed that there were inspirational saying posted throughout the school.  This one is especially applicable to me because I am trying so hard to eat well and exercise.  Thanks Michael Jordan!

I have been exercising, but took a couple of days off for my body to rest.  Of course I then went dancing downtown and am now so sore it hurts to go up the stairs.  Anyone know anything that could help with sore muscles?  I tried adding powdered ginger (recommended by a friend) but it tasted terrible.

I have been really good about drinking my shakes in the morning, I find that they are extremely filling plus they taste great!!  

Doesn't that look pretty?  I love all of the colors.  A nutritionist friend of mine told me that when a plate of food has a lot of colors it also has a lot of vitamins. Below are some health benefits I get from the fruits that I use:

Blueberries

According to the FDA, one serving of blueberries contains as many antioxidants as five servings of apples, carrots, broccoli, or squash. Their studies rate blueberries number one in antioxidant activity compared with 40 other fruits and vegetables

Spinach

Spinach contains at least 13 different flavonoid compounds and is a significant source of most primary ingredients in your daily multivitamin, including vitamins K, A, C, B12, B2, B6, calcium, potassium, manganese, folate, iron, and magnesium. It is also a valuable source of dietary fiber, protein, phosphorous, copper, zinc, and vitamin E. Additionally, it contains omega-3 fatty acids, niacin, and selenium.

Mangoes

A comfort food. Mangos really can make you feel better! Beyond being delicious and rich in vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, mangos contain an enzyme with stomach soothing properties similar to papain found in papayas. These comforting enzymes act as a digestive aid and can be held partially responsible for that feeling of contentment we experience during and after our daily mango ritual. Yes, it is quite natural to crave those mangoes!

Strawberries

Not only do they taste great, The health benefits of strawberry include eye care, proper brain function, and relief from high blood pressure, arthritis, gout and heart diseases.

Blackberries

In the 'best antioxidants' league table, blackberries are right up there. In fact they are probably in the top ten. Blackberries are jam-packed with polyphenols and anthocyanins...what do they do? Well they can help to prevent cancer and heart disease. Blackberries are also rich in manganese and vitamin C. It is important to have adequate Vitamin C as a lack of it can weaken our immune system, which in turn can make you stressed and run down. Other good sources of manganese and vitamin C are strawberries and raspberries. 

Greek Yogurt

Greek yogurt can have twice as much protein as regular yogurt. The extra protein will help you feel full and leave you feeling satisfied. Salt is a big red flag, and many consumers are looking for lower in salt items. According to the USDA, Greek yogurt has less sodium by up to 50 percent. Plus, it still has a full-bodied taste without the high sodium content. If you are watching your carbohydrate intake or have a sensitivity to carbohydrates like diabetes, then Greek yogurt is your ticket. Regular yogurts have 15 to 17 grams of carbohydrates per cup, where Greek yogurt averages around 9 grams. Because Greek yogurt contains less carbohydrates than regular yogurt, it has less lactose, the sugar in dairy products that can sometimes upset people's stomachs. This is especially helpful for people who have lactose intolerance.

All in all things are goin great!!