Getting Back In the Habit: 20/40 Day Challenge

Halfway Through!!! 

I knew I wanted to do this 40 day challenge to create healthier habits and at the half way point I feel as though I have accomplished that goal. Eating right has gotten a lot easier!  I can now walk past the bakery at the grocery store with all of its cupcakes and cookies and not feel the overwhelming and overpowering urge to buy something! I feel proud every time I look over and walk past them without effort.  

In regards to food choices I have turned my diet around. I have gotten back to making healthy meals filled with vegetables (which I LOVE). I still get my daily servings of fruit from my smoothie.  I have started adding strawberries and other fruits in the smoothies as well. I have also learned new ways to prepare foods so that they are still tasty but fewer calories and less fat. I am also working on my portion control. I am finding that I need a lot less to be full than I thought! I am working on cutting back on my meat and starch intake.

But I do have cheat days. My cheat days still exclude alcohol, sweets, and fast food but they include foods that have higher calorie and fat content. I have a cheat day once every week or two.    

I have also returned to my regular workout routine that includes 5 trips to the gym a week.  I do a weight lifting/strength training class 3 times a week. I also do a core workout class twice a week and a spinning class once a week. One Sundays I finish my week with an hour on an elliptical or treadmill. I love it because it gives me a ton of energy to get through my day! 

I hope to finish this challenge stronger and healthier than when I began. I will try to update the blog more often so be on the look out!! 

Talk to you soon!

Crab Rangoon

I have never made Crab Rangoon or used won tons so it was all an adventure for me! It was simple, tasty, and low in calories!

Ingredients:
1/8 tsp garlic salt
1/8 tsp Worcestershire sauce
14 won ton wrappers
1 small green onion
4 oz surimi imitation crab (I used some shrimp)
3 oz cream cheese

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, garlic salt and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
Stir in crab and onion.

Place 2 teaspoonfuls in the center of each wonton wrapper.

Moisten edges with water; bring corners to center over filling and press edges together to seal.

Place on a baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray.
Lightly spray wontons with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake at 425 °F (210 °C) for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Makes 14 Crab Rangoon (2 Per Serving)

Nutritional Info Per Serving: Calories 94; Total Fat 2.29g; Cholesterol 12mg;
Sodium 147mg; Potassium 40mg; Carbs 12.03g; Fiber 0g; Protein 5.76g

Source: http://www.weight-watchers-recipes.net/points-plus-baked-crab-rangoon.html

Shrimp Fried Rice

This was my first attempt at cooking seafood on my own. I feel like the recipe was pretty simple. I omitted some of the ingredients (ginger and sesame seeds) and I didn’t fry the rice.  I also used the whole grain brown rice as well

.

Ingredients: (Serves 2)
2 ounces cooked chicken
8 ounces steamed rice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 tablespoons carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons green peas
1 teaspoon sesame seed
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon oil (use for cooking veggies)
2 teaspoons soy sauce (or more to taste)
6 pinches pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
Sesame seeds
Salt to taste

Directions:
- Scramble eggs and chop after cooking.
- Saute chopped onion, green onion, seasoning and carrots in the oil until done and mix with chopped scrambled egg and chicken. 

I LOVE vegetables

- Break off chunks of steamed rice and mix with vegetable, egg and chicken.
- Add sesame seed, minced garlic, ginger, salt and pepper, stirring well.
- Add butter and soy sauce into the mixture, stirring well until done.

Shrimp fried rice and honey chicken (see previous recipe)

Source: http://runninginstilettos-hbc.blogspot.com/2011/03/benihana-style-chicken-fried-rice.html

Honey Sauced Chicken

I made this honey sauced chicken recipe in my crock pot as part of my meal for this past week. I doubled it because I made enough to last the entire week.  I also skipped the ketchup and red peppers because I don’t eat them so I didn’t buy them. 

There are also pictures to go along with the directions. 

  Honey Sauced Chicken

3/4 pound chicken (of your choice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup chopped onion (or 1/16 cup onion flakes)

1/8 cup ketchup

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper, put into crock pot.

 In a small bowl, combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes.

Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3 hours or on high 1 1/2 hours. 

Chicken into bite size pieces (I shredded the meat), then return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve over rice or noodles.

To bake chicken as a 30 minute meal:

Dice chicken and season both sides with salt and pepper, place in 8x8 pan. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes.

Source: http://mmmcafe.blogspot.com/2010/01/honey-sauced-chicken.html

Chocolate Banana Smoothie

Some of my least favorite foods include fruits and yogurt but I have found a way to combine the two in a yummy way! It is also a great meal on the go!!

My smoothie includes one whole banana, about 3 or 4 spoonfuls of vanilla Activia Yogurt, 1/2 c. of vanilla pure almond milk, and a tablespoon of coca. The ingredients ready to be mixed!

To mix the ingredients I use my hand mixer and a reusable cup with a reusable straw so I can be kind to the Earth and take it on the go!

Then mix the combinations and you are good to go!!! 

ENJOY!!!!

BBQ Pulled Pork and other slower cooker meals

I am current college student and like many others I recently headed back to school.  Before leaving I decided to help my parents out and planned, prepared dinners for the week that can be made in a crock pot.  I decided to make BBQ pulled pork, chicken tortilla, and beef stew.  I gathered all of the supplies for each of the dishes, placed them in a zip lock baggies with instructions.  All my parents have to do is place the prepared ingredients in the crock pot with the meat before they leave for work and when they return dinner is ready!! I love this idea because it is great for anyone on the go that doesn't have time to cook every night!!

My trio of baggies

Frozen veggies with instructions

Below are pictures and instructions for the BBQ Pulled Pork and other meals.


For the Beef Stew I just chopped celery (3 stalks), onions (1 whole onion), garlic, carrots (medium bag), and potatoes (about 4 med.).  My parents just need to add the beef, beef broth, and a seasoning packet. They can set the crock pot to low or medium (depending on how long they will be gone) and they are set to come home to a completed dinner.

BBQ Pulled Pork is another easy recipe!! First you cook the pork in the crock pork in beef or chicken broth on high or medium for about 4 hours or until done (depending on amount of pork).  Then remove pork from crock pot, place it on a plate, and use two forks to shred.  The meat should just fall apart.  Then discard juices left in the crock pot and return shredded meat to the pot. Add BBQ sauce, onions (1 whole), garlic, and brown sugar (about 4 Tbs). I also added salt and pepper to taste. Allow meat to cook in crock pot for another hour on medium. You can also keep the meat in the crock pot on low until you are ready to eat!!

 

The ingredients

The final product!!!

Last but not least the Chicken Tortilla Soup! The recipe includes chopped onion (1 whole), green pepper (1 whole), and garlic.  Then add the chicken and cans seen below. Cook on low and the soup should be ready when you get back home from a long day at work.

Chicken Tortilla Ingredients 

Enjoy!!!

My Failure at Baked Fried Chicken and Oven Fries

So as I have stated before I will post about my culinary adventures regardless of how they turn out. Although most of my attempts at new recipes are successful my attempt at baked fried chicken and oven fried was an epic failure. 

The chicken

The fries

 I used a recipe that I found at foodnetwork.com. I thought I followed the directions well but clearly that was not the case! One thing I do know is that thighs and drumsticks take a long time to cook and next time (if there is a next time) I will be sure to use chicken breasts. I will post the recipe below so you can see if you have better luck than I did. 


Even though my attempt at a tasty and healthy meal was an epic failure I continue to seek out healthy options to accommodate my new healthy lifestyle.

Oven Fried Chicken

Ingredients

• 8 chicken pieces (preferably 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs and 2 wings)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups cornflakes
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 3/4 teaspoon ground sage

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place a rack in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet. 

Rinse the chicken in cold water; pat dry. In a wide bowl or on a plate, season the flour with salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge each chicken piece through the flour so it's fully coated, tap against the bowl to shake off excess flour and set aside. Discard the flour.

Here comes the part kids like best: Crush the cornflakes by placing them in a big resealable plastic bag, carefully pressing the bag to push out the air. Seal up the bag (with as little air inside as possible) and run over the flakes with a rolling pin. Open the bag and pour the crushed flakes into a wide bowl or onto a plate. 

 

In a large bowl (big enough to dredge the chicken pieces), mix the buttermilk, mustard, cayenne pepper, paprika and sage. Give each floured chicken piece a good buttermilk bath and then roll in the cornflake crumbs. 

Arrange the chicken pieces on the rack and place in the hot oven. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375 degrees and cook for another 25 to 30 minutes, until cooked through and crispy. The juices should run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife.

Oven Fries

Ingredients

• 3 large baking potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Salt
• Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes. Remove the fries with a spatula and season with salt.

Day 3 of 40 Day Challenge: Honesty

In day 3 I’m still feeling motivated, dedicated, and committed to cutting out fast food, sweets, and alcohol. I am, however working out the kinks of what I define as fast food. Last night I went to see a movie and purchased a small bag of popcorn that was not small or cheap! I definitely felt that it was a moment of weakness that was not necessary.

Honest Moment: I rarely eat because I’m hungry. I eat because I love food! 

If you have read my Food page you know my love for food is real.  This has led to an extremely unhealthy eating pattern that has been nothing short of destructive. It is this reason that I am seeking to seriously curve my intake of sweets, fast food, and alcohol. The fight comes not from needing to consume these things because I’m hungry or just have space for it in my stomach but because it tastes good and gives me something to do. 
In an attempt to get myself back on track I am adding a definition to fast food. I will consider fast food anything that does not come from my home or a sit down restaurant.  

Last note: I know some diet plans discourage depriving yourself of certain foods or placing strict guidelines on food but I am the type of person that excels with rules. I love to have clear guidelines and expectations to hold myself to when attempting accomplish a goal.  

I will keep you posted as I keep going!! 

Reasons to Get Fit

If you ever need more reasons to stay focused on your journey to get healthy here is an awesome list: 

Source: http://fastcarsslowkisses.tumblr.com/post/15171886320