Easy Fall Meal with Chicken

This meal can be made anytime of the year, but reminded me of Fall.  I made this on my stove top, but could also be made in the oven, or crock pot.

Ingredients:

Frozen or thawed chicken breast

6-8 small red potatoes, cut into cubes

1 green pepper (These were from my garden)!

1/4 of an onion sliced

Salt and pepper or any seasoning you like.

                               

Stovetop: Place in non-stick skillet, no oil needed.  Cover on medium heat for about 30-45 mins. until chicken is cook through.  

Oven: Bake, covered on 350 degrees for about 30-45 mins. in the oven.  

Crockpot: 5-6 hours on high, or 10 hours on low.

This was so simple and only took me 5 minutes to prepare.  I cleaned the pool, swept the floor, emptied out the kids lunch boxes from school, and made my soccer lineup while this was cooking.  I cut up the chicken and spooned into bowls for the kids and myself to eat on the way to our soccer game.  This Fall.....my daughter is on 2 soccer teams, piano weekly, middle son is in baseball and travel soccer, and little guy is on a soccer team.  I am also working more than I have in 5 years, and hubby works crazy hours.  These quick and easy meals will be what I am all about this Fall.

Enjoy and be healthy!  

Chocolate Cupcakes-Really???

OK.......Have you ever had a craving for something sweet, or for chocolate?  What kind of question is that, I know!  Do you know why you have this craving?  Is it that you are not eating every 4-5 hours, that you have skipped a meal, are you bored, mad, is your blood sugar elevated, is it that "time" of the month?  There is usually a reason, so if you have a craving and it doesn't pass, try to problem solve and figure out why.  If you can't figure out why and fix it, you may need to fulfill the craving with something small.

This quick and easy recipe is great for you, your family, and to take to a gathering.  These are delicious, moist, low calorie, low fat, low cholesterol and no one will know it was made with pumpkin!  While preparing for a support group at my work, I came across this recipe.  It is so easy and cheap.

Ingredients:
One box of cake mix- any kind-white, chocolate, spice cake, devil's food (my favorite)
1 can pumpkin (15oz.)

Stir the 2 ingredients together, if it is a little dry, add Tbsp water. 

 It should look like a smooth paste.

You could even add some pecans or walnuts.....

Place mixture in cupcake pan (2/3's full) in paper holders.  Mixture should make 16-20 cupcakes  

Each cupcake = 120 calories and approx. 22 grams of carbohydrates

If you make these for yourself or your family, try to keep it to one per person.  Leave off the frosting, as this would only add extra sugar and the bad fat.  Freeze the rest for a rainy day or when you are craving chocolate.  Take the rest to a friend or gathering, so they are not tempting to you.  This is a very cheap and somewhat healthy option when your brain is craving sweets.

Summer Salad Snack

Nothing like a fresh salad!  This night after the kids went to bed, We decided to have a yummy salad for a snack.  I buy a bag of 3 romaine lettuce (approx $2-4) each week. 

 Rinse and drain on a kitchen or paper towel.  Cutting it into bite size pieces for the week!

I like to place it into Tupperware container with a paper towel to keep it fresh!  It usually stays fresh for 5-7 days.  Much longer than the already bagged salad.

This night, I peeled fresh carrots (only other veggie in my fridge) and cut them with my fun crinkle cutter ad topped with some feta cheese for protein.

I typically like a balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  I am researching ways to make and keep my own dressing on hand.  To keep the calories low, I suggest that the dressing be on the side and dip the fork into it and then get a bite of salad.  This salad was less that 15 grams of carbohydrates and some protein from the cheese.  

Veggie of the Week-Eggplant Parmesan

Not sure what to do with Eggplant (The Purple Veggie)?  Here is a recipe that I made several years ago and recently remembered.  It is delicious, low fat and low carb.

  It take about 20 minutes to make!

These stayed fresh in my fridge for over a week!

Ingredients:  Olive oil spray (I used an oil pump/spray, but a 'Pam' spray could be used, as well)
                 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
                 1 jar Marinara (found organic at local Ruler Foods-a Kroger product)
                 3/4 cup bread crumbs (any kind but I used Parmesan. Italian flavored is yummy, too)
                 2 cups mozzarella cheese
                 2 eggplants

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-Peel and Slice eggplant 1/4 inch thick, place on olive oiled sprayed cookie sheet.  Spray the top of each eggplant and sprinkle with some salt (if on a low sodium diet-please do not use salt)
-Place in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes middle rack.

Above is about 1 and 1/2 eggplants.  One of my eggplants had a "bad" spot.  You may need 2 cookie sheets for the full 2 eggplants.

  

Mix the parmesan and breadcrumbs breaking up the lumps.

 Spoon parmesan/breadcrumb mixture.

Bake for 10-12 min.-Middle rack

*Remove from oven and place oven temp to Broil*

Spoon 1-2 Tbsp. Marinara on top of each slice
Sprinkle with Mozzarella Cheese (see pic below)

Place on top rack and broil for 3-5 mins. until cheese browns

Finished product!

Kids portion with mixed veggies and 8oz. glass of milk

Mama portion=Approx. 25 grams of carbohydrates and approx. 9 grams of fat(from the cheese)

Add 8oz. glass of skim or Almond milk to increase carbohydrates.

If I had more time this day, I would have made another vegetable to fill our bellies.  We had a banana an hour later while we were at the ball park.

4 OUT OF 5 family members LOVED IT.   Little guy, did not even want to try it.  This was his first exposure to eggplant.  I can't blame him for not wanting to eat it.  It looks funny, and has a different texture.  He ate off the cheese and marinara, though.  I used this opportunity to teach the kids about eating foods because they are healthy for us.  Sometimes we need to eat foods even though they look or feel a little funny.  I did not make him eat it, so I served him a double serving of veggies.  My children know that I will not make them something different than the main dish.  They have the option of eating now, eating it later, or having a fruit or veggie for snack later.  I will not make a special or separate meal for the "Picky Kid".  They will eat when the get hungry.

 Exposure to to new foods can be challenging for children and adults. 

 But remember....It can take up to 10 tries of something to acquire the taste. 

 Try not to get discouraged if someone doesn't try your food or even if they don't 'care for it'.

  Continue to make it!  I bet you.....they will like it (or tolerate it) after a few tries!

I WILL make this again, in hopes that little guy will try it!

Breakfast Idea-Kids

When I wake up with an extra 10 minutes to spare or on the weekends, I like to make the kids a well-balanced meal.  Here is one that I made for them during ISTEP week.  

Spray olive oil in pan and broke the yolk of the egg and cook both sides until the yellow
of the egg is done. (this is the way my kids like them) I alternate using eggbeaters or egg whites for myself.

Sprinkle low-fat mozzarella cheese on top to melt.  Cut egg in half and place on whole wheat bread.

added 1/2 cup applesause, 4 oz. Almond milk, The 3 kids shared a container of greek yogurt.
Little guy was not a fan of the yogurt, so I gave him a little more milk, but this picture reflects my 11 year old's plate.  

      This only took about 10 minutes to make.  The hardest part is cleaning the dishes, and I tend to leave them until the kids are gone to school or wait until I get home from work.  Cleaning of the dishes are so worth it, when you know your have fed your children food that fills their belly and gives them the nutrition that they need to grow strong and healthy.  Setting your alarm 10 minutes early to make breakfast is WORTH IT!!  I always encourage clients to eat "something" in the morning.  You don't have to make a 3 course meal, but getting healthy food in the belly is so important to jump-start the metabolism and can help decrease cravings for the rest of the day.

                                                         Other ideas for kids:

Whole grain cereal and a cheese stick

Oatmeal and a handful of nuts

2 waffles and spoonful of peanut butter

Granola Bar and a slice or 2 or deli meat

Adding a glass of milk and a little fruit can make a balanced meal!

This article below explains the importance of breakfast in children.  Please take the time to read.

http://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/pages/The-Case-for-Eating-Breakfast.aspx?nfstatus=401&nftoken=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000&nfstatusdescription=ERROR%3a+No+local+token

Veggie of the week- Grilled Asparagus

    When the sun is out, our family craves some grilled food!!  This past weekend, my husband ran into the grocery and grabbed a few items that were healthy and some not so healthy!  I try not to let him go to the grocery very often because he will come home with $10 healthy foods and $50 foods that should go in the trash.  Do any of you have this same difficulty---living with someone who is kind enough to shop for you, but brings home tempting items????
     The healthy $10 food that he came home with was the fresh asparagus and fresh chicken breast.  Way to go honey!!
      During nice weather, we love to grill out two times a week or more!  One of our favorite vegetables to grill is ASPARAGUS!  We love the taste and the crunchiness of this veggie.  It is very low carbohydrate and is full of flavor.  My kids call it the "tall tree veggie" and they love that it makes their pee smell funny (if you have never noticed this, take a whiff 1-2 hours after you eat these yummy stalks, and you will know what I am talking about).  When my littlest was still in diapers, I went into his room the next morning and was knocked out by the smell coming from his diaper.  OK...enough about smelly pee. hee hee!!
      We drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  For lower sodium, we suggest that you add garlic powder, minced or fresh garlic!  We place them directly on the grill but they can also be placed in aluminum foil.  5-10 min., and they are done!!

drizzle or spray with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper

directly placed on the grill for 5-10 min.

3 oz. grilled chicken, 5-8 stalks of asparagus and 3/4 potato salad (this was the horribly unhealthy salad from the grocery deli that my kids and husband love) =Approx. 45 grams of carbohydrates.  This was a higher fat meal, due to the potato salad. I will be having a green salad with this meal next time :-)

This is one of many veggies that we like on the grill---What is your favorite one???

Honey-Lime Fruit Salad

I picked up some fruit at a local Ruler Foods market and decided to make a yummy fruit salad for some friends' get-together. I found a recipe on Pinterest and have been wanting to make it for several weeks. It is so easy!  This is what I did:

                                          Large batch  8-10 cups/servings

 Juice of 2 Limes
 4 Tbs. of Honey
poured the mixture over the fruit and tossed!

For 4 servings/4 cups fruit
 1 Lime
 2 Tbs. Honey

I love fruit without these two ingredients, but it did liven up the fruit and kept the apples and bananas from turning brown!  This would be wonderful for any fruit combination.

If you have this for a dessert or snack, try to keep it to 1 cup/ small coffee cup size= approx 30 grams of carbohydrates.


This could be frozen in single servings then where you want some....let it sit out for 30 min and      enjoy at anytime of the year!

Here are several items that I found for a really good deal! 5 bags of frozen veggies, grapes, bananas, apples, strawberries, mandarin oranges, eggs, lemons, 100% fruit juice, roman lettuce, local honey, 2 bags of organic corn chips for my yummy Guacamole. All for about $25!!!

Is it Spring??

It finally hit 50 degrees where we live!  The kids were so excited to get fresh air after I got off work today!  I grabbed the kids, neighbor boy, niece and nephew and we headed out for an afternoon walk!  I had each kid choose what they wanted to do: walk, jog, ride a bike, scooter, or bounce a ball.  Giving kids the option of what they want to do, can help get them involve in an activity.

We are very lucky to have a neighborhood that has side walks and very little traffic for us to be safe.  If you don't have this luxury, there are usually nearby parks or trails.  Check out: http://www.traillink.com   It will show area trails for your area.  If walking is not your thing, then try to just get outside!  Do anything: pick up sticks, pick weeds, take a stroll around your house or apartment building, head to the store, throw ball with a kido, or doing light stretches while you sit on the porch or patio.  Be creative and do activities that keep your interest. Outside sunlight is so beneficial to us mentally and physically.  If you are home-bound, just sitting near a window and cracking it slightly for fresh air daily with light stretches can help!

If there are children in your life.....use them to help you stay active.  Children crave activity and I would love for you to crave it to!  Here is a link you can see what the recommendations are for your age:  http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/index.html

Since Spring-like weather is just about here...let's all work together to get active outdoors.  Find a buddy to join you in this journey.  My buddy will be my kidos and their friends.  I also look outside and know I have so much outdoor yard work to keep me busy for a while!  Any chance you get, turn off the TV, computer, grab a friend and head outdoors.  Hope you were able to enjoy a little sunshine today.
~D

Would love to know what your activity was today and how you enjoy the sunshine!

Flounder Fish-What Do I Make?

What do I make?  I ask myself this question many nights of the week.  How do I decide what I am going to make for my family?  Usually, I take a look in fridge or freezer for a lean meat or a protein source from the pantry.  I try to keep frozen fish (tilapia, cod, flounder, and going to find some salmon) lean ground chicken, lean ground turkey, turkey breast, chicken breasts.  Last week when I shopped at a local Aldi's Grocery, I found these 5 frozen Flounder Fish.  I wanted to try something different so, I searched the web by typing in "healthy flounder fillet recipes".  Several popped up, but I liked this one.  I don't typically have all the ingredients for a recipe-but I try to choose the one most appealing and somewhat healthy.  

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Flavorful-Flounder-For-the-Oven/Detail.aspx?prop24=etaf

Since I was missing a few ingredients I substituted for a few.
I switched the green onion for red onion
Regular mayo for mayo with olive oil  

sprinkled the fish with some sea salt

Squeezed the juice of half a lemon

Placed the mayo, onion, parmesan cheese and lemon juice on top of the fish

Baked for 10 min on 375 degrees, then 5 min on broil setting.

Mama portion-1 cup instant brown rice, 1/4 cup mandarin oranges, 1/2 Edemame, and 3 oz. fish
Approx. 45 grams carbohydrates.


While this was cooking I wanted to learn more about fish and the hype of "Is it really good for us"?  All the info about mercury and is it Wild Caught etc.  So with my research, I think it is best to look at the package and research that fish.  I realized that it actually showed where i was caught and it's exact location in the Pacific.  I also found a cool app on my phone-"Seafood Watch".  This can also be found on this website:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/cr/SeafoodWatch/web/sfw_factsheet.aspx
Each fish is placed on a "Best Choice", "Good Alternative" and "Avoid".  This Flounder was on the "Good Alternative" list.  I will take it!  

So....did the family like it?  3 of the 5 liked it!  My boys didn't care for the parmesan taste.  My daughter said "wow mom, you are creative and she ate every last bit of it!   I guess you can't please everyone, but I feel like I made am impact on my daughter and it made me feel good about trying something new.

Eating Fish 2-4 times a week is what I suggest to many clients and we try to have ourselves.  Happy Fish Eating!

Slightly Obsessed and Overwhelmed

Since I started this blog, I have become slightly obsessed.  Knowing that I am sharing with the world, things that I do for myself and my family, has really made me more aware of my own lifestyle.  I am striving to put the best and healthiest foods in my families mouths, on a budget.   I have noticed that my husband tried some vegetables that he used to say "I don't like that", and then he really enjoyed them, this time!  We are eating less processed foods and have more fruits and vegetables than we ever have in the past!  I say that I may be slightly obsessed, but this may actually be a good obsession?  I pray that I have a balance in my life with work, religion, family, fun, friends and food.  This is a challenge for all of us, and I only hope I can continue this balance!  I have been slightly obsessed with learning recently, too.  Searching the web, books, Facebook and from others.  I am more intrigued with learning more about, GMO's, processed foods, FDA, mercury in fish, etc.  I encourage you to take a look at some of the FB pages that I have liked and also follow them!

It is a bit overwhelming!  The more I have learned, the more overwhelmed I have become.  I came to the conclusion that I can only do MY BEST.  Doing my "Best" is what my parents, would tell me almost every day of my life in regards school, sports, and work.  All we can do, is OUR BEST!  I would love to eat ALL-organic, no GMO's, all-natural, have my own cow's, chicken's, full garden---But this is not possible for my family right now, and may never be.  BUT, I can do my best and TRY.  That is all I am hoping each and everyone of you will do, too.  

Since I started my blog and FB site, I have received messages, emails, and verbal comments that people love what I am doing, and it has been really helpful to them!!! This was my whole entire goal for this project!  I am also thankful that I haven't had any negative comments yet.  I say yet, cause I know they may be coming :-/  Even if I can help 1 person or family to make healthy food and activity changes---I have succeeded!  Please forward this to your friends and family and encourage them to follow, not only to help themselves, but their family. You can also click on the FB, twitter, google, email at the bottom of this blog to share, as well.   Please sign up at the top of the blog for email alerts.  I have also added a search engine at the top of my page, so you can hopefully type in a word and it will pull up anything that I have blogged about with that topic for you.  PLEASE keep commenting on your own experiences and feel free to email me the ways you are staying healthy.  I would love to start blogging other people ideas, if you would be willing to share??

If you have over an hour to watch?  Please watch this Free, eye opening video. It may help you stay motivated or get you started with a healthier lifestyle!
Your friend,
~D

http://www.hungryforchange.tv/free-screening

Work Lunch #1

When deciding quickly what I was going to have for lunch at work this morning, I chose to take the same food as my daughter did for lunch. All natural peanut butter and jelly sandwich on 100%whole wheat bread. I shared a can of pears with her (the kind in it's own juice) and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. A small bag of walnuts and a banana for a midday snack (30 grams of carbohydrates)
Lunch equaled 45 grams of carbohydrate and the fat came from the peanut butter (1Tbsp=8 grams total fat).

Lunches don't have to be fancy but it is very important to have a meal/food in your belly every 4-5 hrs. Having 15-30 gram carb snacks with protein in between meals can also keep the metabolism moving. Yes.....breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but don't leave out lunch. Many of my clients, that skip lunch, tend to over-eat during the evening because the brain is trying to catch up on their missing calories from the day. Feed your body with the fuel you need each day. Most people will lose weight just by eating more regularly. What did you have for lunch today? Please share!!!

Breakfast....you can do it!

It wasn't easy but I got 3 kids ready for school, fed them breakfast-cereal and cheese stick, and packed their lunch. Also got myself ready, made my lunch and whipped up this breakfast for myself before 7am. I do not want a medal, as many of us do this everyday! I just want all you moms, grandma's, dad's and anyone who wakes up and makes breakfast and lunch for the day-YOU ARE AWESOME! It can be done and we all can do it!

While the pan was heating up, I packed the kids breakfast and brewed my coffee! Used my olive oil mister and sprayed the skillet- got mine from Pampered chef)-more to come about his awesome kitchen tool! Broke the egg an the yolk (don't like the runny stuff). Cooked both sides and placed a little fresh mozzarella cheese on top! Laid it on top of 1 slice whole wheat bread and added a banana. There ya have it! 45 grams of carbohydrates, healthy protein and fat to get my day and metabolism started! Hope you have a great day! And make sure you eat some breakfast!!!!!!

Holy Moly Guacamole!

One of my favorite things to make is guacamole! Avocado's are a Super Food! They have a high quantity and quality of good fats!

If you have not ever purchased an avocado...... here are a couple tips:
1. Make sure it is not bright green-if it is, place in paper bag for a day or 2 till it turns a brown color on the outside.
2. You want to be a soft when you squeeze.
3. If the brown stem falls off when you push it over, it is ripe and ready!

Below is the nutritional value of 1 avocado.  I would suggest that a serving size be 1/2 and avocado.

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2

When I buy avocados the next thing I grab for is fresh lime (or you can use lime juice).  They just go together so well in guacamole

The color of this avocado was just right, but sometimes I like them to be even darker!

I enjoy red onion in my guacamole, but you can leave it out.
I have a Tupperware chopper that works amazing.  If you need a Tupperware rep, let me know--I can hook you up with a friend.

Add: 1/4 cup onion, 1 avocado (I just squeezed it out of the shell and threw the pit away), 1/2 lime juiced, and 1/2 cup salsa.

Mix it all up and you have GUACAMOLE!!! (it has a little brown appearance because of the salsa-but tastes delicious!

If you do not have a chopper, than a fork does just as well!  I tend to make my Guacamole different every time.  Sometimes I will leave out the salsa and add chopped tomatoes and onion and garlic powder, pepper.  Your guacamole will have a greener appearance by doing it this way-but it is more work.  (You could even sprinkle in taco seasoning or for lower sodium-try, cumin)!

Instead of using chips with this guacamole, I made Fish Taco's!  See next post.  I saved the other 1/2 of the lime for the Tilapia fish.
Enjoy--and if you haven't tried Guacamole--YOU REALLY NEED TO!!!!

Party Hard and Eat Decent

     These past few days have been a whirlwind for our family.  My son recovering from arm surgery (and is stuck like glue to me), other son out of town for a soccer tourney, and my daughter having 3 birthday parties.  Needless to say, not a lot of cooking has been going on.  Even though life can get crazy, we need to still be mindful of the foods we are consuming.

      When planning these 3 parties for my daughter, I wanted to have a variety of food for the kids.  The first party was at a restaurant and Mama chose the cob salad that I shared with hubby with vinaigrette dressing-was so yummy!

The next party was in our home----Here is the spread:

 We had a lot of healthy options and still enjoyed a couple sweet treats (I only had enough for 1 per person, so it wasn't tempting to get double the portion size).  By placing an overabundance of healthy options like fruits and veggies, those were what most of the children gravitated towards!!!  Sometimes it is all in the presentation....

 As you can see.....we had a One Direction Birthday party! The girls danced and danced!  Dancing is a wonderful exercise. Dancing is not just for the young, though.  If you like to dance, put on some music while you are preparing your meals, close the curtains and GET DOWN!!!!!  Dancing can burn many calories and raises the heart rate to help strengthen the heart!  Below is a website that can calculate how many calories you burn by to plugging in your weight, duration and type of dance.

 http://www.self.com/calculatorsprograms/calculators/caloriesburned/dancing

While I was snapping the picture below, you can notice that my 5 year old was sneaking in before the party and helping himself to that sweet orange pepper! He loves them!

           We are surrounded by food at birthday parties, weddings, get-togethers, holidays, funerals, etc.  There is no way of getting around it.  We must adapt and know that there are days when eating a little more or maybe not the best food options may occur.  It's OK, and it makes us human.  Try not to feel guilty for eating the dessert or having the pizza, rather, eat the food and try to keep it to the portion size.  Maybe we take a few bites of the dessert, take off the icing, or ask for a smaller piece?
              If we allow ourselves to eat the foods that we sometimes crave, we will most likely not want it as much on the other days.  Try not to put a BIG X on all non-healthy food.  Many times when we withhold foods or go to parties and watch everyone else eat.   If there is something at the party that you have not had in a while, go ahead and have a little!  This works for most people, however it may not work for some? Try not to hang around the food area.  This can be tempting for those who may over-indulge.  Try to take a plate and sit away from the food.

    Are you ever invited to a Potluck (where you bring a side-dish)?  If so, try to take a healthy one like fruit kabobs, fruit salad, or a veggie tray.   Please share with me some of your healthy side-dishes.

Soda--Staple or Occasional

While growing up, every Sunday after church, my mom would turn in (recycle) her 6 glass bottles of Pepsi to the super market to only get 6 more to last her during the entire week.  It was rare that my sister and I even got a sip of her soda.

 Today is SO different, with a soda machines around every corner, in schools, and work places staring us in the face.  Not only in machines, but they line the supermarket shelves, and are in front of every cash register.  Warm, cold, 12oz, 2 Liters, 6 pack bottles---- just waiting for you buy them with your hard earned $.  Not gonna lie, I really enjoy the fizz, caffeine and taste of a soda.  But, how much is too much?  And is there anything really GOOD about these sodas?

 I am not going to say STOP them, but I am going to suggest that we take a deep look into the situation.  After reading this interesting article today, it inspired me.
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bvo.asp....Please take the time to check this out!!!!

Many of us have chosen soda as a staple of our daily fluid intake and some even use it to fuel their bodies with these empty calories instead of food.  1 can (12oz.) of regular soda equals about 45 grams of carbohydrates, which equals the same amount as a meal for a women. Here is a pic of a 20oz. and a liter.  Almost a 1/3 of the bottle or can is sugar.



I will not go into the BIG controversy of Diet vs. Reg. right now, but I will challenge everyone to look at the ingredients and sweeteners that are added to them and you can make your decision.  Many times with my Diabetic and weight loss clients, I suggest that they stop regular sodas and switch to a diet to immediately decrease their blood glucose.  Then, when they find a diet that they like, I try to wean them down to 1-2 day.  After a while of this, encourage them to go more natural with waters and teas. For some, a gradual change is easier and more attainable, but for others quitting all at once works!

Before you quit soda, please note that caffeine withdrawal can be brutal, so weaning off caffeine or switching to a tea/coffee may be a little easier than cold turkey. Here is a link to help:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5642397_avoid-caffeine-withdrawal-headache.html

As I am writing this blog, I have a few amazing friends who are challenging themselves to kick the soda habit!  I know they can do it!  It will not be easy, but it will be so much healthier for them!

Good luck in your soda adventure and hope that you can make soda an occasional intake and not a staple in your diet.

Pasta Meals Need A Lot of Veggies

I purchased these brussel sprouts ($2.68) and radishes ($1) a weeks ago and really needed to use them.  I decided to roast them together.

rinse them

cut them-this takes the longest time (5-10 min)

toss them with 2 tbs. olive oil and dash of sea salt, place  on cookie sheet and roast for 15 min at 400 degrees.

 While they are roasting,  place about 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan and boil for about 5 min.  Then, pour it over the brussel sprouts and radish medley.  Place back in oven 5 min. (if you want it to cook in a little bit) and below is the finished product.

Roasted medley...The radishes tasted amazingly sweet and the brussel sprouts have a wonderful flavor.  The kids enjoyed them (well 2 of my kids) Can't please everyone, but they tried them at least!  I added this medley to our meal below:

While the above veggies were roasting, I boiled up the pasta and warmed some jar sauce (made in St. Louis).  I didn't have any ground turkey or chicken in freezer but I found a bag of frozen green beans.  

This sauce was higher in Sodium than I like, but
 I had to make due since it was the only thing in the pantry.

Cover and heat for 10 min.

I warmed the other half of the bag in the microwave and added some garlic powder,
and Parkey spray-tastes just like butter but no bad fat!!

Mama portion-1 cup pasta and sauce, 1/2 cup green beans, 1 cup roasted medley.
 Approx. 60 grams carbohydrates and the only fat is from the olive oil

This was the kido portion and topped it with some Parmesan cheese.  The kids like this on steamed vegetables most of the time instead of butter or margarine.
3/4 cup pasta and smaller amount of veggies.
45 grams carbohydrates


Why so many veggies???   Pasta is Carby (carbohydrates with not much nutrition and then they turn into sugar).  When we eat too many of these at one time, it is hard for our bodies to use them (especially if we have Diabetes).  If we eat too many carbohydrates at one time, we can also store them as fat.   So, it is a good idea to always pair a high carbohydrate meal (Pasta, Bread, Rice, etc.) with half of your plate.... low-fat veggies.   Some of you may not want to go through the hassle of making 2-3 different veggies with these meals...DON'T THEN....Eat a large portion of ONE vegetable (about-1 and 1/2 cups or more).    Be careful that you do not add a Starchy/Carby vegetable like (corn, peas, potatoes, sweet
potatoes)--Save these for a meal that does not have many carbohydrates.
 Happy Eating and you may want to have some protein for your snack a couple hours later--handful nuts, peanut butter and crackers, cottage cheese and fruit, 1 cup low-fat milk and 2-3 cookies,  yogurt.