So I had a bit of a binge last night. Something about staying up late makes me craves sweets soooo bad. Which in it's self is kind of strange because I really don't have a sweet tooth. I have the exact opposite, a tooth that makes me regret eating sweets. Despite the pain the is involved in eating sweets, I for some reason decided to clean up my christmas candy by eating it. It wasn't a whole lot just some malted milk balls and few mini snickers. My point is though I need to get to the bottom of my impulse eating. I am a admitted boredom eater, I need to find something to do after my baby goes to bed to keep myself busy and out of the sweets. I have made plans to go back to college, so maybe all that homework will be the boredom fix I need. Hopefully I will not feel the need to snack while I am doing my homework. Today I will share a recipe that fixes the sweet craving but is very easy to portion control and adds a shot of calcium. I have adapted these from an old cheesecake recipe.
Mini Cheesecakes
You will need a mini muffin pan, which can be found at any cooking specialty store
Makes 48 mini cheese cakes.
Half a package of vanilla wafers
2 (8oz)Packages of cream cheese, you can use the reduced fat kind if you want
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 can of fruit pie filling (I really liked these with blueberries)
*Preheat the oven to 350F. Line mini muffin pans (tassie pans) with mini paper liners
*Crush the vanilla wafers till very fine and put a 1/2 teaspoon of the crushed wafers in to each muffin cup and pack down.
*Beat cream cheese,sugar,eggs and vanilla together till smooth. Make sure there are no lump of the cheese cakes wont come out right.
*Fill each muffin cup with the cream cheese mixture almost to the top. Its is easier to use 2 normal spoons to scoop and scrape the mixture in to the cups.
*Bake for 15 minutes, cool for 30 minutes and then place in the fridge for at least an hour.
*Before serving spoon a little of the fruit filling on top of each mini cheese cake.
Makes 12 servings at about 150 calories per serving.
I love to make these they are so easy and I am often asked to bring them to brunches and parties. I am sure those of you who are good with cheese cakes could make many varieties of these.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Proper Portions
"I am a big man so I need a big mans serving" "Thats not a meal that is a snack" Just a couple things I have heard my father say over my life time that has made me realize that many people are out of touch with portion size. All you need to do is look at the size of the portions that restaurants serve and you can see where it starts to come from. I don't know if he or others realized that they don't need a bigger serving because they are bigger people, they are bigger people because of their bigger servings. Ask your self how often you actually count out the 18 potato chips when you grab a bag for a snack. Did you know a serving size of either chicken of beef should be ,about 3-4zo, or the size of a deck of cards? How many restaurants actually serve that?Here are some surprising serving sizes; one egg equal a serving. a serving of pasta should be about the size of a tennis ball, a serving of potato should be the size of a computer mouse and cereal the size of a fist, same with vegetables.
I have become an obsessive label reader. It is so amazing what you learn about your food when you take the time to read the labels. I have found it much less scary to make my own food from scratch, but I am a stay at home mom so that may be a easier task for me than it is for others. The best defense is to educate your self on what you are eating. When you go shopping, do some comparison, look at the nutrition label the way you would look at the price.
Speaking of prices I do understand that it is hard to eat healthy when you are struggling to make ends meet. I know all to well. I have been out of work for over a year and my husband brings home just a little more than $1000 a month. Healthy food isn't always a priority when you have to pay rent/mortgage, heat, electricity, phone. Being a mom, I wouldn't even have to think about it if I had to give up fresh fruits and vegetables for a month to make sure I had lights. I have had to do it before. All I can say is look into state aid if you are eligible and if you are not, clip coupons like a mad man/woman. I am not ashamed to say I receive food stamps, we have to make the most of them. A head of lettuce makes more meals than a box of mac and cheese. Junk food may be cheap but it doesn't go as far as buying bulk packages of chicken and freezing them. Preparing your own food will save you a lot of money and calories, which leads to a healthier you which in turn mean less medical bill in the long run, and thats nice to know when you are struggling,
Here is another recipe to give a try, you will find as my blog goes on, I am a big fan of stir fries. Tasty tender, thinly sliced meat with crisp vegetables and a thin savory and slightly spicy sauce, YUM!!! I also got this recipe from Cook This, Not That the 350 calorie meal solution book.
Sweet and Spicy Beef
It is nice to have a wok for this but a large saute/fry pan will work as well.
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
12oz steak sliced thin and against the grain (top round is a good cut of steak for this and it tends to be cheap)
1/2 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
8 scallion (green onions) greens and whites separated and chopped
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 cups mushrooms thinly sliced
4 cups green beans or snap peas with rough ends removed
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
both of the latter ingredients can be found in the international/asian food isle
* In a large shallow dish mix soy sauce and cornstarch with a fork. Add the steak and toss to coat completely and let sit for 10 minutes
*Heat oil in wok or large saute pan over high heat until screaming hot, should take only 5 minutes. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add mushroom and grean bean/snap peas and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure to keep the vegetable in almost constant motion so they don't burn.
*Add the beef along with the rest of the soy sauce mixture and continue to stir fry for 3 minutes until the beef is fully browned on the outside, careful not to over cook or the beef will be tough. Stir in hoisin sauce and chili garlic sauce until it slightly clings to the meat and vegetables. I suggest cutting the chili garlic sauce in half if you don't like a lot of spice. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.
Makes 4 servings at 300 calories per serving.
I have become an obsessive label reader. It is so amazing what you learn about your food when you take the time to read the labels. I have found it much less scary to make my own food from scratch, but I am a stay at home mom so that may be a easier task for me than it is for others. The best defense is to educate your self on what you are eating. When you go shopping, do some comparison, look at the nutrition label the way you would look at the price.
Speaking of prices I do understand that it is hard to eat healthy when you are struggling to make ends meet. I know all to well. I have been out of work for over a year and my husband brings home just a little more than $1000 a month. Healthy food isn't always a priority when you have to pay rent/mortgage, heat, electricity, phone. Being a mom, I wouldn't even have to think about it if I had to give up fresh fruits and vegetables for a month to make sure I had lights. I have had to do it before. All I can say is look into state aid if you are eligible and if you are not, clip coupons like a mad man/woman. I am not ashamed to say I receive food stamps, we have to make the most of them. A head of lettuce makes more meals than a box of mac and cheese. Junk food may be cheap but it doesn't go as far as buying bulk packages of chicken and freezing them. Preparing your own food will save you a lot of money and calories, which leads to a healthier you which in turn mean less medical bill in the long run, and thats nice to know when you are struggling,
Here is another recipe to give a try, you will find as my blog goes on, I am a big fan of stir fries. Tasty tender, thinly sliced meat with crisp vegetables and a thin savory and slightly spicy sauce, YUM!!! I also got this recipe from Cook This, Not That the 350 calorie meal solution book.
Sweet and Spicy Beef
It is nice to have a wok for this but a large saute/fry pan will work as well.
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
12oz steak sliced thin and against the grain (top round is a good cut of steak for this and it tends to be cheap)
1/2 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
8 scallion (green onions) greens and whites separated and chopped
4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
2 cups mushrooms thinly sliced
4 cups green beans or snap peas with rough ends removed
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
both of the latter ingredients can be found in the international/asian food isle
* In a large shallow dish mix soy sauce and cornstarch with a fork. Add the steak and toss to coat completely and let sit for 10 minutes
*Heat oil in wok or large saute pan over high heat until screaming hot, should take only 5 minutes. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add mushroom and grean bean/snap peas and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes. Make sure to keep the vegetable in almost constant motion so they don't burn.
*Add the beef along with the rest of the soy sauce mixture and continue to stir fry for 3 minutes until the beef is fully browned on the outside, careful not to over cook or the beef will be tough. Stir in hoisin sauce and chili garlic sauce until it slightly clings to the meat and vegetables. I suggest cutting the chili garlic sauce in half if you don't like a lot of spice. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.
Makes 4 servings at 300 calories per serving.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Sweet Potato Fries
This is just about my favorite side dish. I can put this with anything, chicken, steak, burgers or fish. I have adapted my own recipe from many times of trying different things.
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper/cayenne
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 425F. Put sweet potato wedges into a bowl. Toss with oil and spices until very well coated. Spread onto non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes of until crisp on out side but tender when poked with a fork. Makes 4 servings at about 80 calories per serving.
These are much lower in sodium than any of the frozen prepackaged ones you will pick up in the store. Hope you enjoy eating healthy-happy!
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/8 teaspoon red pepper/cayenne
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 425F. Put sweet potato wedges into a bowl. Toss with oil and spices until very well coated. Spread onto non-stick baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 25 minutes of until crisp on out side but tender when poked with a fork. Makes 4 servings at about 80 calories per serving.
These are much lower in sodium than any of the frozen prepackaged ones you will pick up in the store. Hope you enjoy eating healthy-happy!
Treating Myself
I have recognized that one of my biggest eating problems is the constant need to treat myself when I have done something "good." Problem is now I treat myself for things that should be done anyways, like cleaning my house. If I spend the whole day working on cleaning my house I treat myself that night by getting a pizza/chinese/fast food or going to a restaurant so I do not have to cook, since I worked so hard that day. Why am I rewarding myself for something that should just be done? I asked myself that and came to the conclusion that it is because I am part of the instant gratification generation. We(I) like to see my the fruits of my labor as soon as "my labor" is done. I also realized that I will not be able to see the results right way as I go through this lifestyle change. I will not be able to see each pound I loose. I might notice my jeans fitting looser after I loose 10 pounds but I won't actually see any results until I have lost a substantial amount of weight.
This time when I reach my weight loss goal I will not "reward" myself by binging on a bowl of ice cream or going to celebrate at a restaurant and ordering a massive bowl of pasta. That, I have realized, is not a reward because it undoes everything I worked so hard for. This time I will reward my self by keeping up with my life-style change and staying healthy, since that is the real reward.
Now to share my first healthy-happy recipe with my readers, I got this one out of the Cook This, Not That book of 350 calorie meals.
Oven Fried Chicken; 310 calories per serving
Takes between 1 1/2 hours and 12 1/2 prep (depending on how long you marinate the chicken)
Makes 4 servings
2 Cups Buttermilk
1/4 Cup Franks Red Hot Sauce(This sounds like a lot but its balanced out by the buttermilk)
1lb chicken drumsticks and thighs
2 Cups Panko breading
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper
*Combine buttermilk and hot sauce in a zip lock bag. Add chicken to bag and shake to coat. Put in the fridge to marinate at least 1 hour up to 12 hours.
*Preheat oven to 450F. In a bowl combine breading and spices.Working with one piece at a time take chicken from buttermilk mixture and dip in to breading and coat completely. Its a good idea to use one hand for the wet chicken and one hand for the dry breading processes, its a little less messy.
*Place breaded chicken on a non-stick baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on the outside and cooked through.
I put this together with (baked) sweet potato fries and some fresh snap peas and it was an awesome dinner.It was much more tender and moist compared to KFC and it tasted just as good, if not better!
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Taking responsibility for my self
I am 20 years old, 5'7" and last time I weighed myself I was 328 pounds.
I am morbidly obese. I have been that way for the majority of my life. I have never said it so flatly, I am fat. I am so heavy that my everyday life has been severely impacted. I have been out of work for over a year because I can not apply for jobs that will have me on my feet for more than an hour. I also have to have my husband, who works 40 hours a week, do house work when he comes home because I get so tired so quickly doing household chores. I don't want to be this way anymore.
The first time I ever went on a diet, I was 9 years old. I started weight watcher with both of by parents, who are also very heavy people. I remember loosing 15 pounds and being so proud of my self that I celebrated by eating a whole bowl of ice cream. There started my life long misunderstanding with food. I have been on and off so many diets, I can not count them all. I have done Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, the 1300 calorie diet and for one whole month during my middle school years I ate nothing but a bagel and a bowl of Ramen Noodles every day. I lost 20 pounds in that month but ended up making myself very sick. I never took responsibility for my failures, I always blamed the diet or anything and everything around me.
It is time to re-educate myself about food and exercise. I have slowly been working on my nutrition re-education over the last year. My pregnancy kick started that. I needed to know what was going in my mouth so I knew what I was feeding my baby. I will admit I ate a lot of pizza during my pregnancy. I started making it myself instead of buying pre-made packaged grocery store pizzas. Thus started my re-education.
I am going to use this blog to take responsibility for what I eat and how I burn my calories. I will try to post once a day but with a teething infant nothing is defiant when it comes to my free time. I will post the new recipes I try, some of my weight loss philosophies, and the failures and successes I will endure on my way to becoming a healthier and better Me.
I am morbidly obese. I have been that way for the majority of my life. I have never said it so flatly, I am fat. I am so heavy that my everyday life has been severely impacted. I have been out of work for over a year because I can not apply for jobs that will have me on my feet for more than an hour. I also have to have my husband, who works 40 hours a week, do house work when he comes home because I get so tired so quickly doing household chores. I don't want to be this way anymore.
The first time I ever went on a diet, I was 9 years old. I started weight watcher with both of by parents, who are also very heavy people. I remember loosing 15 pounds and being so proud of my self that I celebrated by eating a whole bowl of ice cream. There started my life long misunderstanding with food. I have been on and off so many diets, I can not count them all. I have done Weight Watchers, Atkins, South Beach, the 1300 calorie diet and for one whole month during my middle school years I ate nothing but a bagel and a bowl of Ramen Noodles every day. I lost 20 pounds in that month but ended up making myself very sick. I never took responsibility for my failures, I always blamed the diet or anything and everything around me.
It is time to re-educate myself about food and exercise. I have slowly been working on my nutrition re-education over the last year. My pregnancy kick started that. I needed to know what was going in my mouth so I knew what I was feeding my baby. I will admit I ate a lot of pizza during my pregnancy. I started making it myself instead of buying pre-made packaged grocery store pizzas. Thus started my re-education.
I am going to use this blog to take responsibility for what I eat and how I burn my calories. I will try to post once a day but with a teething infant nothing is defiant when it comes to my free time. I will post the new recipes I try, some of my weight loss philosophies, and the failures and successes I will endure on my way to becoming a healthier and better Me.
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