Menu for May 16 to May 22

Once again this menu planning was done with the mind to have plenty to share with my mom.  She is doing much better but as long as I can make a plethora of servings I'm going to.  This Tuesday is also my husband's birthday so there was peanut butter cake on the menu.  You can have your piece of cake and eat it too.  Just not the whole cake, ok?

Saturday:  Baked Herb Crusted Salmon, buffalo cauliflower, coleslaw, and salad.

Baked Herb Crusted Salmon

1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. dried dill
1 lb. salmon
Pam

Preheat oven to 450.  In a small bowl mix spices.  Spray a baking dish with Pam.  Place the fish in pan and spray the tops of the salmon with Pam as well.  Then sprinkle herbs evenly over fish.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  You can also place the fish close to the broiler after baking for a minute or two to crisp up the herbs a little more.

I was shopping the other day and in the freezer section I saw cauliflower with buffalo sauce.  I was immediately intrigued.  I love buffalo sauce and so naturally I bought a bag.  All you have to do is pop it in the microwave and nuke it according to package directions.  And it was good.  I figure you can make your own if you steam some cauliflower and then toss it in buffalo sauce.  I might have to try it that way so that I can control the spiciness.

And the recipe for coleslaw is 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon or lime wedge.  I always keep salad ingredients prepped in the fridge that way I can make a side salad quickly.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html 

Sunday:  Creamy Green Chicken Enchiladas, black beans, haricots verts.  What makes these enchiladas creamy is that I add a can of cream of chicken soup to the sauce!  Yummy!

Creamy Green Chicken Enchiladas

1 lb cooked skinless chicken breast, shredded

1 (19 oz.) can green enchilada sauce

1 (10 1/2 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups mozzarella cheese shredded

18  white corn tortilla

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. In a small bowl combine the enchilada sauce and the cream of chicken soup. In a large saucepan, over medium-low heat warm up the enchilada sauce mixture. In a 9x13" baking pan pour a little bit of the enchilada sauce, just enough to coat the bottom.  Layer 6 tortillas on the bottom of the baking pan, in a single layer. Add 1/2 of the cooked shredded chicken and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese. Pour 1/3 of the enchilada sauce over the top.  For the second layer: Layer 6 more tortillas in a single layer. Sprinkle the remaining chicken. And then sprinkle on a 1/3 of the cheese. Pour 1/3 of the enchilada sauce on top.  Layer the last 6 tortillas on the top, pour remaining enchilada sauce on top and then top with remaining cheese.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then uncover and bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.
 
Haricots verts are just a fancy name for green beans.  They are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.

Monday:  Carnitas.  The awesome thing about this recipe is that it's made in the crockpot.  Then after you shred it you can use it so many ways.  In tacos, burritos, or even toss in some BBQ sauce and make pulled pork sandwiches.

http://wearychef.com/carnitas/2/

Slow Cooker Carnitas

3-4 pounds pork tenderloin roast

15 ounces green taco sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 sweet onion, sliced

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or to taste

1 cup water (or beef broth)

1/2 cup milk (Do not add to crockpot.)

Cut roast into 3-4 large pieces. Pierce meat all over with a knife.  Stir together taco sauce, garlic, onion, chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, cayenne, and water. Add pork pieces, and spoon liquid over the meat to coat all sides.  Cover crockpot and cook on high 6-8 hours or low 8-10 hours, until meat shreds easily.  When meat is done, preheat oven to 275 degrees. Take pork out of the slow cooker and shred on a large-rimmed baking sheet lined with foil or a baking mat to make cleanup easier. Discard any large pieces of fat. (Leave most of the onion behind, but it’s OK if some is incorporated with the meat.) Pour ½ cup of cooking liquid and ½ cup of milk over shredded pork. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove meat for serving with tongs to leave excess fat behind.  Serve with tortillas, finely shredded cabbage, guacamole or avocado, and green salsa.

Tuesday:  Otherwise known as my husband's birthday!  Shepard's Pie, veggies, salad....and Peanut Butter Cake!  My husband's favorite cake is a peanut butter cake.  So the search was on to find the perfect recipe.  Lo and behold one day I opened up pinterest and there was a recipe.  It was fate.  And it was fantastic because the recipe was for one 9inch round cake. 

Shepherd's Pie

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef, browned and drained

1 (10.75 oz) can condensed tomato soup

1 (15.25 oz) can sweet whole kernel corn (no salt added), drained

1 (14.5 oz) can no salt added french style green beans, drained

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded

1/2 tsp basil

Spray a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker with Pam.  In a separate bowl, combine beef, tomato soup, corn beans and basil. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.  Spread mashed potatoes on top.  Cover and cook on low heat 5-6 hours. The last hour of cooking sprinkle cheese on top of potatoes.

http://roxanashomebaking.com/peanut-butter-cake-with-peanut-butter-frosting-recipe/

Peanut Butter Cake

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup soft butter

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup finely chopped peanut butter cups mixed with 1 tbsp flour (the candy tends to sink at the bottom if you don't mix it with a little bit of flour)

To make the cake:  Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter one 9" cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.  In a mixing bowl cream butter, peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. At low-speed, add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Combine the chopped peanut butter cups with one tablespoon of flour and add them to the batter. With a spatula mix until combined. Spoon batter in the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake cake until about 33 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool cake 5 minutes. Turn out onto racks, peel off parchment. Cool cake completely before frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting:

1/2 cup soft butter

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3/4 cups powder sugar

1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream (depending on your peanut butter thickness)

Peanut Butter Cups / Hearts to decorate

To make the frosting:  In a mixing bowl add the butter, peanut butter and 1/3 cup heavy cream. Stir at low-speed until combined. Slowly add the powder sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. When all the sugar is added increase the speed and mix for 1 more minute. If needed, slowly add few more drops of heavy cream.  Frost the cake completely. Decorate with peanut butter cups/hearts.

Keep cake refrigerated. Serve at room temperature.

NOTE:  I just put about 1/2 of the frosting on top of the cake.  My husband is not a big fan of frosting or icing, and he asked me to frost it that way.  I just tossed the rest of the frosting.  Next time I will half the recipe.  And yes that is chocolate sauce that is drizzled on the cake.  Did I mention it's my husband's birthday as well as 1 year that he is smoke free?

Wednesday:  Leftovers...Which became Chicken Bacon Sandwich and cracker chips.  This recipe come from my prepped chicken post.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/04/recipes-for-prepped-chicken.html  To make this sandwich, I use sandwich thins.  They are 100 calories and come in different kinds.  Like whole wheat, multi-grain, and honey wheat.  All equally delicious, and all have about the same nutritional value so just pick the one you like best.  I use Laughing Cow cheese, mustard, spinach, a slice of tomato and a couple of pieces of bacon, and 4 to 5 ounces of chicken.   You can serve it with chips, sometimes I eat veggie straws, or just fresh vegetables and a side of hummus.  Today I had my Cheddar Cracker Chips.  If you don't like mustard you can use mayo.  I have one for my husband that is made with canola oil.  Or you can use hummus, or pesto.

Thursday: Fiesta Beef O'Brian Potatoes, veggies, black beans

http://www.julieseatsandtreats.com/2013/10/fiesta-nacho-cheese-beef-potatoes/#_a5y_p=3675560

Fiesta Beef O'Brian Potatoes

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1 (1 oz) package 25% less sodium taco seasoning mix

1 (15.25) oz. can golden sweet whole kernel corn (no salt added), drained

1 (10 1/2 oz) can campbell's healthy request condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 (10 1/2 oz) can campbell's cheddar cheese soup

2/3 cup low sodium beef broth

6 servings southern hash browns

In a microwave safe bowl place potatoes and water. Cover with saran wrap and microwave on high for 10 minutes, stirring twice, or until tender.  While potatoes are cooking prepare beef and taco seasoning according to directions on taco seasoning package.  In a small bowl whisk together soups and beef broth until well blended. Add to beef mixture and stir in corn and potatoes. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 10 minutes or until heated through.

For the green beans.  They are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.
 

Friday:  Chicken Spaghetti, lemony green beans, side salad.  I was going to make a piece of garlic bread to go with my dinner but I decided to have a side salad instead.  This chicken spaghetti recipe is one of my husband's favorite dinners.  I don't make it very often and I'm hoping that one day he will let me switch the whole wheat spaghetti noodles for spaghetti squash.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 13.25 oz box whole wheat spaghetti

32 oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed

26 oz can cream of chicken soup

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp dried basil leaves

1/4 tsp oregano leaves

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tbsp canola oil

Boil spaghetti according to directions.  Meanwhile, cut chicken into 1" bite size pieces.  In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat cook chicken until no longer pink.  Add soup, broccoli, chicken broth, spices, and Velveeta. Lower heat to simmer and heat through. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, then add 1/4 cup water.  Once the pasta is done, pour chicken mixture over and stir to combine. Serve.

 
The green beans are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.  I always keep salad ingredients prepped in the fridge that way I can make a side salad quickly.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html

Menu for May 9 to May 15

This week is my mom's first week home from the hospital.  She was released on Saturday.  I made a trip to Odessa to help my dad bring her and the things she would need home.  We were home right at lunch time so I didn't have to worry about going out to eat.  Until she is more mobile I am trying to make dinners that have a lot of servings so that I can take her and my dad food to eat.  That way she doesn't have to cook.  Last week I saved 1/2 of the stuffed bell peppers in my freezer for when my mom wants them for dinner.  I also saved 1/2 of the pinto bean and ground beef stew, and 1/2 of the beef pot pie.  Which I took over to her house on Saturday when we got home from the hospital.

Saturday:  Lemon Pepper Cod, coleslaw, green beans, and salad.  I thought this time I would try something different and used Lemon Pepper seasoning to season the fish.  And once again my dad's salsa is sprinkled on each thing.  It's so spicy that a little goes a long way.

Baked Cod

Lemon Pepper seasoning
1 lb. cod

Pam

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a baking sheet with Pam.  Then spray cod with Pam and sprinkle with Lemon Pepper Seasoning evenly over the fish.  And bake 10-12 minutes.  You can also place the fish close to the broiler for a minute or two to crisp up the top a bit more.

And the recipe for coleslaw is 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon wedge.  The green beans are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.  I always keep salad ingredients prepped in the fridge that way I can make a side salad quickly.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html

Sunday:  Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and salad.  After looking a many different recipes for meatloaf, I came up with this one. It's a family favorite.  Thus the name of the recipe.  I use lean ground beef, but by adding the cheese it keeps the meatloaf moist.  I don't put ketchup on the top because my husband hates ketchup.  But you can add some to the top during the last 10-15 minutes of baking time.  Although then you won't get to see the bubbly cheese oozing on the top.  For the garlic mashed potatoes the key is to boil the garlic with the potatoes.

Family Favorite Cheesy Meatloaf

2 large egg, beaten

1/4 cup 1% fat milk

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup bread crumbs (seasoned)

1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp mustard

1 tsp Mrs. Dash

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef

1 cup diced cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Grease an 8X4 loaf pan. Combine eggs, milk, ketchup, bread crumbs, onion powder, mustard, salt and pepper. Add beef and cheese and mix well.  Press mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and carefully drain off fat.  Return to oven and continue to bake for 30 minutes. Take the meatloaf out of the oven and carefully drain off the fat. Return to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully drain off fat. Let sit for 15 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and serve.

Garlic Ranch Mashed Potatoes

2 lbs white potatoes

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup 1% fat milk

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp Mr.s Dash

1 tsp ranch dry dips mix

1/2 tsp salt

1 light Laughing Cow Swiss cheese wedge

Cut peeled potatoes into large chunks. Add potatoes and garlic to a large pot filled with water. Boil 18-20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Place the potatoes and garlic back into the empty pot. Add milk, butter, cheese, salt, pepper, dry ranch mix and seasoning to the pot. Mash until desired consistency. Serve.  Note: if you want your potatoes to be creamier then add a few more tablespoons of milk until desired creaminess is achieved.

 I had leftover green beans so I just added them to my plate.  YUM!

Monday: Sloppy Joes, coleslaw, Boom Chicka Nacho Cheese Ancient Grain Puffs. My daughter is very picky, but she absolutely loves this recipe. Way better than the can stuff.  And a very quick and simple recipe.  Just the way I like it. 

Sloppy Joes

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1 can tomato soup

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground beef. Drain off fat. Add tomato soup and Worcestershire sauce to the ground beef. Stir to combine.  In a small bowl combine the cornstarch and water. Add to meat mixture and bring to boil. Lower heat to simmer and cover. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve on buns.

I had mine with spicy mustard and a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese.  I found the nacho cheese puffs at Target.  They are pretty good.  Lastly the recipe for coleslaw is 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon wedge.
 

Tuesday:  Taco (tostada) Night.  Oh yeah.  So you can have chicken tacos if you want but it's so much better in tostadas.  And your filling won't fall out the back when you are eating them.  For this dinner I also use my toaster oven.  Preheat it to 375.  Line the baking pan with foil, and spray it with Pam.  Warm up two corn tortillas in the microwave.  Place them flat on the baking sheet and then spray the tops with Pam.  Bake for about 10 minutes turning once until light brown and toasty.  Keep on eye on them because they will go from being perfect to burnt in a blink of an eye.  I know, it's happened to me.  Once they are done.  I split one wedge of Laughing Cow cheese between the two corn tostadas.  Then spread black beans, divide 6 ounces of diced warmed chicken and pile it on top, add salsa, sour cream, and devour.  You can add any kind of salsa and guacamole as well.

Wednesday:  Leftovers.  So tonight I decided to have: Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza, Boom Chicka Nacho Cheese Ancient Grain Puffs.  I was surfing good ole Pinterest and I came  across this recipe:
http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/low-cal-bacon-chicken-pizza It's a chicken bacon pizza.  And I thought to myself there's another use for my trusty prepped chicken.  Of course I have a tendency to tweak recipes and that's what I did here.  Preheat toaster oven to 375.  In a small bowl, mix Laughing Cow cheese, 2 tsp. light sour cream, 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1/4 tsp. dry ranch dip mix, and 1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning until smooth.  Spread it on top of a pita bread.  Sprinkle with crushed red pepper.  Add 3 to 4 ounces of chopped chicken.  Sprinkle 1 tbsp. of mozzarella cheese, top with sliced cherry tomatoes and 2 slices of fully cooked bacon.  Bake in my toaster oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is nice a bubbly.  And then I topped it off with hot sauce.

Thursday:  Spaghetti Squash, veggies, chicken, and salad.  I roast my spaghetti squash in the oven for 45 minutes at 375.  Once it's done.  I will add 2 cups of the roasted spaghetti squash to the bowl.  I like to add vegetables as well.  Today the vegetables are Herdez: Yucatan Blend.  It's roasted corn, black beans, red peppers, and poblano chiles.  You steam them in the bag, so it's a snap to get them ready.  The great thing about this dish is that you can use any kind of vegetables you want.  Also you can use a spaghetti sauce, an Alfredo sauce, or even pesto in place of or even with the vegetables.  Then take 6 ounces of chicken, slice it and warm it up in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds.  Place it on top of everything.  Sprinkle the whole shebang with crushed red pepper and enjoy!  And since you are cutting out the pasta by substituting spaghetti squash for it you can add a piece of garlic toast.  Today though I opted for a side salad.

Friday:  Chicken Tamale Casserole, lemony green beans, black beans, and salad.

http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2014/01/13/chicken-tamale-casserole/

The next time I make this I think I am going to use green enchilada sauce in place of the red.  I prefer the green when using chicken.  I think it would also be good switching out the chicken and using shredded pork.  And maybe only 1/4 tsp. of cumin (that stuff is pretty strong).

Chicken Tamale Casserole

1 (8.5 oz.) box corn muffin mix

1 (14.75 oz.) can sweet corn cream style (no salt added)

2 large egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup shredded mozzarella (part skim milk, low moisture)

1 (10 oz.) can mild enchilada sauce

3 cups cooked, diced skinless chicken breast

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly spray a 13X9 inch baking dish with Pam. Set aside. In a large bowl combine the corn muffin mix, cream-style corn, eggs, milk, chili powder, cumin, and 1/2 cup cheese. Stir till combined then pour into baking dish. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and use a knife to pierce the cornbread mixture several times all over. Pour the enchilada sauce all over the top. Then top with the chicken and remaining cheese. Bake for an additional 20 minutes.  Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing into pieces and serving with optional toppings: diced tomato, sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, finely chopped cilantro, and/or salsa.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

The green beans are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.  I always keep salad ingredients prepped in the fridge that way I can make a side salad quickly.

Happiness Comes From the Healthiness Within

I thought that by losing weight it would make me happy.  Now don't get me wrong.  It's not like I was unhappy in my life, but I was unhappy with my body.  I figured that I would lose weight and I would be happier.  Losing the weight was satisfying.  But it didn't make me happy.  What really made me happy was the reaction of my family.  My parents telling me that they are proud of me.  That's happiness.  My daughter saying she wants to do PiYo just like me when she gets bigger.  Her saying to me that she loves going to the gym with me in the mornings.  Joy!  My husband got called for jury duty and on the form where it asked for his wife's occupation he wrote, "Fitness Instructor."  He came home and showed me.  He told me he was so proud of me!  Happy tear!  I was asked once what was the most satisfying aspect of losing weight.  And with out a doubt the most satisfying point of this entire journey has been hearing my daughter say she is so proud of me.  She is one of the main reasons I decided to get healthy I wanted to be an inspiration for her.  I wanted to show her that the way her mama was living was not good and there is a better way, a healthier way.  I hope I've has planted those seeds in her.  Because then all of this hard work will be worth every agonizing step.  Find your inspiration and your motivation.  And make sure that it's something that will drive you every single day. And you will succeed.

And while we are on this journey we have to remember to be proud and happy with ourselves especially with the progress we are making.  It has made me happy to be able to do things I couldn't before. Love yourself no matter what or you will nitpick your body.  I know.  I no longer have that old body, and you think that would make me happy with this new one I have worked so hard for.  But there are still things I don't like.  I have to constantly remind myself that I have come a long way.  That I am so much more healthier today than I was a year ago, and that is the end prize, is it not?  That's why I decided to start this weight loss journey.  To get healthy.  Don't get so hung up on the scale.   We are so much more that that number.

Menu For May 2 to May 8

This week we made another trip to visit my mom.  So instead of prepping my chicken on Sunday, I did it on Saturday.  And I used a new marinade recipe that popped up on Facebook.  http://www.fitnessrepublic.com/nutrition/recipes/asian-grilled-chicken-breasts.html 

Asian Grilled Chicken Breast

1 tbsp. ground ginger

1/2 tbsp. ground black pepper

3 tsp. mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp. minced garlic

6 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Mix the oil, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, mustard, salt and pepper, and brush on the chicken breasts.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.  Preheat the grill.  Grill the breasts for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness.  Let the chicken rest on a plate for 1 or 2 minutes before serving.

Of course I made them in my skillet.  Just sprayed it with Pam and heated it to medium high and cooked according to the recipe.

Saturday:  Chicken Spaghetti, lemony green beans, side salad.  I was going to make a piece of garlic bread to go with my dinner but I decided to have a side salad instead.  This chicken spaghetti recipe is one of my husband's favorite dinners.  I don't make it very often and I'm hoping that one day he will let me switch the whole wheat spaghetti noodles for spaghetti squash.

Chicken Spaghetti

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

1 13.25 oz box whole wheat spaghetti

32 oz bag frozen broccoli florets, thawed

26 oz can cream of chicken soup

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 tsp dried basil leaves

1/4 tsp oregano leaves

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

1 tbsp canola oil

Boil spaghetti according to directions.  Meanwhile, cut chicken into 1" bite size pieces.  In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat cook chicken until no longer pink.  Add soup, broccoli, chicken broth, spices, and Velveeta. Lower heat to simmer and heat through. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, then add 1/4 cup water.  Once the pasta is done, pour chicken mixture over and stir to combine. Serve.

The green beans are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.  I always keep salad ingredients prepped in the fridge that way I can make a side salad quickly.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html

Sunday:  Out of town.  We went up to Odessa to visit my mom at the hospital. So today the hospital cafeteria was pretty much shut down.  All they had was corn dogs, onion, rings and three day old salads and wraps.  So I took the advice from http://www.skinnymom.com/ and tried the Firehouse Sub place in Odessa.  I looked at the link that the website provides for fast food meals under 500 calories:  http://www.skinnymom.com/?s=fast+food+under+500  Then I looked up Firehouse Subs: http://www.skinnymom.com/fast-food-under-500-firehouse-subs/ and ended up settling on a Turkey Salsa Verde Sub.  It was smoked turkey breast, monterey jack cheese, salsa verde sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and light mayo on a light wheat roll.  It comes in at 427 calories.  But I asked for no mayo and it ended up being 356 calories.  I added some Baked Sour Cream and Onion Lays and a huge bottle of water.  I have to say that the turkey was pretty tasty.  But I was extremely disappointed with the verde sauce.  I expected it to be spicy.  It didn't even have a little kick. It wasn't spicy AT ALL.  I'll be heading back to Odessa next Sunday if my mom is still doing rehab for her back surgery.  And this time I think I'll try the Captain Sorensen's Datil Pepper Grilled Chicken.  That one is advertised to be spicy.  And I sure hope so.  According to http://www.skinnymom.com/  This sub takes after Firehouse’s namesake; the pepper sauce gives it the perfect zing you’ve been craving! With grilled chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, Capt. Sorensen’s Datil Pepper Sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and light mayo on a light wheat roll, 430 calories doesn’t seem so bad now. Not a fan of the fiery spice, but everything else sounds good? Ditch the pepper sauce as well as its 56 calories! But I won't be ditching the fiery spice, instead I'll ask for no mayo, and probably no lettuce or tomato.  They get all wilted and yucky on a hot sandwich.  Not very appetizing.

Monday:  Tuna fish, coleslaw, cracker chips. I really do love tuna fish sandwiches.  It's one of those things that I ate a lot of growing up.  And the cool thing about tuna fish is that everyone makes it different.  I have seen it make with pecans, chopped apples, or grapes.  My mom likes to add a chopped hard boiled egg and relish.  I like to use albacore tuna packed in water.  I'll add 1 tbsp. of canola mayonnaise, lemon pepper seasoning, and add a chopped baby dill pickle.  Mix it all up and put it on a sandwich thin.  Put some spinach, and halved cherry tomatoes on my sandwich.  I also have a spicy mustard that gives the tuna sandwich a little zip.  I served it with coleslaw.  And the recipe for that is 1 1/2 cups of tricolor coleslaw mix, with 1 tbsp. Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed dressing and the juice of one lemon wedge.     

Tuesday:  Taco Bake, black beans, veggies.  Growing up frito pie was one of those comfort dishes.  I never really learned how to make it the way my mom and my grandma did.  But I found this recipe and of course I tweaked it.

Taco Bake

1 lb 93/7 lean ground beef

1 1.25 oz pkg. 30% less sodium taco seasoning

2/3 cup water

1 15.5oz can chili beans

1 10 3/4 oz can cheddar cheese soup

1/2 cup low sodium beef broth

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.   Brown ground beef and prepare as taco meat according to the seasoning package (using water). Add chili beans and stir to combine.   Meanwhile, in a saucepan combine soup and milk and heat through until smooth.   Pour taco meat mixture into a 9x9" pan. Top meat with cheese sauce. Top with shredded cheese.   Bake for 10-15 minutes until bubbly.

Optional: Top each serving with Fritos, lettuce and other desired taco toppings.

I also take a day to prep black beans.  I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/4 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  This is actually one of the foods that I prep on Sundays.  And then after they have cooled down I keep them in the fridge for tostadas, burritos, or just as a side.

The vegetables are Birdseye Steamfresh.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.

Wednesday: Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers, black beans, veggies. I love chicken fajitas and stuffed peppers this recipe combines the two into one delicious dinner.

http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/09/chicken-fajita-stuffed-peppers/

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

3/4 cup dry instant brown rice

5 medium bell peppers

1 1/2 cups chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp. canola oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes & green chilies

1 cup no salt added black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen whole kernel golden corn

1/8 cup chopped cilantro

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 375. Cook rice according to package directions. Cut the peppers in half top to bottom, seed and devein peppers. Set aside.  Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until golden, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and saute 30 seconds longer, add chicken, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Cook stirring occasionally, until cook through, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, add tomatoes with diced chilies, black beans, corn, cooked brown rice, remaining 1/2 tsp. chili powder, 1/2 tsp. cumin, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook until just heated through. Add a heaping 1/2 cup of the mixture to each pepper half and slightly press filling to fit. Pour enough water into bottom of baking dish to reach 1/8 inch height, careful not to pour it into the peppers. Cover with foil and bake 30-35 minutes, until peppers are soft.  Serve warm topped with more cilantro, sour cream and hot sauce if desired.

What I did was made two trays of stuffed peppers, baked one tray of the stuffed peppers and the other try I put in the freezer for later, minus the water.


For the black beans look on yesterday's dinner.  See it really comes in handy to have prepped food.  I choose to have lemony green beans again.  I really like them.  And they are super simple.  They are the frozen ones.  You just steam them right in the bag.  Once they are done I pour them into a mixing bowl, add the juice of 2 lemon wedges, pepper, Mrs. Dash, crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp. of light canola butter.

Thursday:  Beef Pot Pie, black beans, lemony green beans, and salad. I love beef pot pie, but it's always loaded with calories. This
one is from the Hungry Girl website so you know it's gonna slash the calories and be just as delicious.

http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/low-calorie-beef-pot-pie

Big Beef Pot Pie

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef

1 (32 oz) bag mixed vegetables, thawed

1/8 tsp. Mrs. Dash

1/8 tsp black pepper

2 (10.5) cans 98% fat free condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 c. water

1 (8 oz) tube Pillsbury reduced fat crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 13X9 inch baking pan with Pam.  Spray a large skillet with Pam and heat to medium high. Add beef and season with Mrs. Dash and pepper. Cook and stir until cooked through.  Add the thawed vegetables, soup, 1/2 cup water, and mix well. Evenly transfer to the baking pan. Bake until hot and bubbly, about 15 minutes.  Firmly pinch the edges of the crescent dough to make one seamless sheet. Place dough over the meat mixture and carefully stretch to cover.  Bake until dough is fully cooked and golden brown, about 18 minutes.

The side salad comes from my prepped veggie basket.  Once again take the time to prep vegetables, you'll thank yourself.  I had some leftover black beans, and green beans so I went a head and added them to my dinner plate.
 
Friday:  Pinto Bean & Beef Stew, cornbread, salad.  I went ahead and made this on the stove top.  I don't own a pressure cooker so I was pretty happy that the author included the directions to make this stew on the stove top.

http://www.kalynskitchen.com/2009/02/pressure-cooker-recipe-for-pinto-bean.html

Pinto Bean and Ground Beef Stew

2 (16 oz) cans reduced sodium pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 lb. 93/7 lean ground beef
2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

3 tsp garlic, minced

2 tsp Mexican oregano

1 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander

4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth (canned)

1 cup water

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 (14.5) oz can no salt added diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 cup fresh lime juice

Heat large heavy frying pan to medium high, add ground beef saute until beef is well-browned, breaking apart with back of the spoon as it cooks. When it's well browned, remove beef to a bowl. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil in frying pan, then add onion and saute about 5 minutes, or until onion is starting to brown. Add minced garlic and saute 2 minutes more, then add oregano, coriander, cumin and saute about 2 minutes more. Remove from pan.  Add chicken stock to frying pan and simmer a minute, scraping off any browned bits. Combine browned meat, onion mixture, chicken stock from the pan, water, beans, tomato paste, and canned tomatoes in heavy soup pot.  Cover and simmer over low heat about 45 minutes, adding a bit more water if needed. When stew is done, add chopped cilantro, and lime juice and cook a few more minutes. Serve hot.

The cornbread is just a mix.  Follow the directions on the package.  And the side salad, you guessed it comes from my prepped veggie basket.  Have I made you a believer of prepping?  Don't worry I'll keep working on you.

What do I eat?

Here is a question that I get asked often, "What do you eat?"  Usually with a look on their face that says, "You must not eat anything." No, I don't starve myself.  I tried that many times in the past.  It doesn't work.  Well it works, but only until you get really freaking hungry.  So maybe it works for about a week, and then I ate everything in sight.  To answer the question of what I eat...I eat all kinds of stuff.  The difference is that I try to eat the right amount.  It's not about eating less but eating RIGHT.  Before I changed to a healthy lifestyle, I would skip breakfast, some days I would skip lunch.  Then for dinner I would pig out on whatever was in sight, usually fast food.  Oh let's not forget about eating dessert, because chocolate cake is the perfect thing to help wash down a double quarter pounder.  And lastly I would eat a bunch of junk food before bed.  So I had to relearn how to eat.  I stopped drinking sodas, sweet teas, Kool-aid, all those sugary drinks.  I cut out all junk food.  Now I try to get 2-3 servings of fruit and 3-5 serving of vegetables a day.  I had to force myself to get used to eating breakfast.  Incorporate a healthy lunch.  Learn how to snack properly, and start cooking healthier dinners.  I'm also part of fatsecret.com where I enter in my meals and keep an eye on my calories.

Monday through Friday, my day starts at 5:00 am.  I walk my dogs.  Ten minutes till 6 I waked up my daughter so she can shower and get ready for school.  I make her lunch.  Then I do a mini workout.  After my 10 minute workout, I have breakfast around 6:30. My workout class starts at 7, and my daughter goes with me.  I take her to school at 7:40 and head back to the gym for my friend's class.  I have a snack in between classes and another one when I get home from the gym.  I have lunch at noon.  Pick up my daughter and my cousin from school.  We all have a snack at 4.  Dinner is usually ready between 6 and 6:30.  I used to have another snack after dinner but I stopped doing it because I didn't like going to bed with food in my tummy.  Bed time is 9:30.  Weekends our eating schedule is pretty much the same.

Here's what I eat:

Breakfast: Usually for breakfast I cycle through three different things.  Yogurt with chia seeds, steel cut oatmeal sweetened with brown sugar and made with unsweetened almond milk, or cereal with unsweetened almond milk with half a sliced banana.  Every once in a while I'll make breakfast taquitos.  I don't menu plan my breakfasts, in the mornings I just pick from one of those three options.  Of course I try to not pick the same thing consecutively.  So one day is cereal, next day yogurt, the next day oatmeal, and then start all over.

For yogurt I just pick what looks good to me.  I don't try to get any specific brands, although I don't really like the Chobani ones, they are too liquidy and tart.  I like my yogurt to be thicker.  So I tend to get Yoplait or Dannon.  Dannon being my favorite yogurt.  I'll add about a tablespoon of chia seeds to my yogurt.  I have been doing this for about a year now. Chia seeds are super good for you.  They have a lot of calcium, potassium, iron, protein, and other health benefits as well.  http://premeditatedleftovers.com/naturally-frugal-living/health-benefits-uses-chia-seeds/  They assist with weight loss by helping you feel full longer, boost strength, give you energy and positive effects on your health too.  http://www.healthyfoodmind.com/ancient-super-seeds-that-will-change-your-life/  So look into adding chia seeds to your diet (I don't mean like a you're on a diet but your eating routine) but don't eat them dry, they really should be included with something that way you can get all the benefits of that super seed.  http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Eat-Chia-Seeds-35976785?utm_campaign=social_share_button_d 

The second thing I like to have for breakfast is oatmeal.  I prefer the steel cut oats.  They are more toothsome than regular oatmeal and that's what I like.  You can make it with water, but I use unsweetened almond milk.  I remember when I first switched to almond milk I bought the sweetened one.  WHOA it was way too sweet so I stopped using that one and just bought the unsweetened vanilla one.  I have also made my own unsweetened almond milk and it's not that hard.  http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/2012/03/how-to-make-almond-milk.html
The only thing is that the recipe doesn't make a whole lot so if you have a lot of people drinking almond milk you might be better off buying it instead of making it.  Right now I'm trying an almond/coconut blend and I really like it.  It's a little bit thicker than regular almond milk, but not as thick as cashew milk.  I tried cashew milk before, I didn't like it.  Too thick.  The wonderful thing about oatmeal is that you can add all kinds of flavors to it.  My favorite has to be Banana Bread Oatmeal.  When my bananas get too ripe I'll peel them, cut them in half, wrap them in plastic wrap and toss them in the freezer.

Banana Bread Oatmeal:

1/4 cup steel cut oats
2/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup water (if you like your oatmeal thicker then omit the water)
1/2 tsp. brown sugar
1/2 frozen banana, mashed (I mash mine while I'm waiting for the milk/water to boil)
mini chocolate chips
chopped walnuts

Pour almond milk and water into a small sauce pan.  Bring to boil and add brown sugar and mashed banana.  Stir.  Bring to a boil again and add the steel cut oats.  Lower heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes.  Pour into a bowl, top with mini chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. 

A few months ago I found a Peach Pecan Amaretto Preserve and I thought "Hey I can add this to my oatmeal."  So I bought it, tried it, and loved it.  Follow the same steps as the Banana Bread Oatmeal but leave out the banana, chocolate chips, and walnuts.  During the last minute of simmering add 1 tablespoon of preserves.  I have also added PB2, the powdered peanut butter, to my oatmeal.  Once I made some oatmeal with chopped apple and apple pie spice.  So really you just have to use your imagination.  I also recently started adding 1/2 tablespoon of ground flax seeds to the oatmeal.  I just pour them in with the oatmeal.  Flax seeds are another one of those things that help with all kinds of stuff.  http://www.skinnymom.com/glossary-of-foods-flax-seeds/  They are good for blood sugar levels, moods, joint mobility, rich in anti-oxidants, and they are good for your hair, eyes and skin, and they provide with many other health benefits as well.  http://www.brainyweightloss.com/benefits-of-flax-seeds.html

Another breakfast item is cereal.  Right now I am trying out the new Cheerios with ancient grains.  It has spelt, kamut wheat, and little clusters of oats with quinoa.  It's good.  I usually have two different kinds of cereal that I pick from, so I have some Special K in my pantry as well. And that one is vanilla almond.  It's only been a few months ago that I went back to eating cereal.  Because I do have a little bit of a lactose problem.  Milk makes me phlegmy.  Which is why I switched over to almond milk.  To my bowl of cereal I'll add half of a banana that I have sliced up.  I save the other half for a snack.

Every once in a blue moon, I will also make breakfast taquitos.

Bacon Breakfast Taquitos

1/3 cup egg substitute

1 light creamy Swiss cheese wedge

2 yellow corn tortillas

1 slice bacon

Preheat toaster oven to 375. Spray baking pan with nonstick spray. Cook 1 strip of bacon according to package directions.   In a large microwave-safe mug sprayed with Pam, microwave 1/3 cup of egg substitute for 45 seconds. Stir and microwave for another 45 seconds, or until set.  Mix in cheese. Chop or crumble bacon and stir into mixture.  Place tortillas between 2 damp paper towels. Microwave for 15 seconds, or until warm and pliable.  Evenly distribute egg mixture between two tortillas. Tightly roll each tortilla and place seam side down in the baking pan. Lightly spray with Pam. Bake until crispy, 10-12 minutes.   Serve with salsa.

And you can make these taquitos with turkey sausage as well.  If you don't like the flavor of egg substitute you can use a flavored Laughing Cow cheese wedge, like garlic and herb, French onion, pepper jack, and you can season the egg substitute with Mrs. Dash and pepper. I hate Egg Beaters, but these taquitos are delicious!

I do have protein powder, but I have yet to try it.  When I do I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Lunch: The old unhealthy me would more that likely skip lunch.  When I did have lunch it was usually a big grab bag of Hot Cheetos with melted nacho cheese.  Not very healthy.  The new me learned how to prep salad ingredients and that is my number one go to for lunch.  Like I said I try to have 3-5 servings of vegetables a day and this is where most of them come in.  Pretty much I have salad 5 days a week.  And no I don't get tired of it.  I love it.  I have spinach, carrots, celery, yellow bell peppers, cucumbers, radishes, and cherry tomatoes.  I will add my prepped chicken, http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/04/recipes-for-prepped-chicken.html  some dressing, and a crunchy topping.  I stopped eat Ranch Dressing a long time ago.  I wasted so much time on ranch when there are so many different salad dressings.  Right now I have a balsamic vinaigrette that is delicious.  I keep my salad stuff prepped and ready to go in a basket in my fridge.  http://harddoesnotequalimpossible.blogspot.com/2015/03/menu-planning-and-meal-prep.html
All this prepping makes pulling a salad together quick and painless.  Again I don't menu plan my lunches.  And here I really don't mind having a salad almost every single day.  I don't get tired of it.  There are so many different salad dressings you can use, and there are many different toppings as well.  And not just croutons.  I have Marzetti Salad Accents: Asian Sesame.  It has almonds, rice noddles, and sesame sticks.  Yummy!

Another thing I like for lunch is a wrap.  I'll use a Flatout flatbread, Laughing Cow Cheese, mustard, spinach, tomatoes, and turkey.  If you want to cut some sodium then you can use prepped chicken instead of some processed luncheon meat.  Roll it up and slice it in half.  I have some fresh veggies as a side or some cracker chips.

Since I also prep black beans when I do my chicken there are days that for lunch I'll make a quesadilla.  To prep the beans, I buy a can of No Salt Added whole black beans, not the refried ones.  Rinse them in a colander.  I take a medium size skillet add about 1/3 cup of water.  Heat over medium, and once the water is hot I add the beans.  Then I season them with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, pepper, crushed red pepper, cumin, hot sauce, and 25% less sodium seasoned salt.  Stir it all up and then mash them.  You can add more water if you want them to be bit more runny.  And all the seasonings are to taste.  Just depends on your taste buds.  I cook them for about 5-7 minutes on low.  Then I keep them in the fridge for times just like this.  To make a quesadilla I'll use a Flatout flatbread, Laughing Cow Cheese, black beans, and hot sauce.  Then I'll warm it up on a comal (griddle) and eat it with cracker chips.

Dinner:  This is where I do my menu planning.  On Thursdays I'll look through my recipes, which I get off pinterest, my cook books, or magazines.  On Fridays I'll do my grocery shopping.  I start my dinners on Saturdays.  And now that I started this blog, Saturday is the day that I post last week's menu along with pictures and recipes.  When I'm doing my menu planning I try to make a variety of dinners.  One day is for fish, one day is for leftovers, one day a recipe with ground beef, I try to make something new at least one day out of the week, and one day I'll try to make something with pork.  I use lean ground beef, 93/7.  I have been menu planning dinner for about a year now.  I keep all my dinners written in a spiral so that I can flip back through it and find something that we really liked.  Sometimes I'll ask my daughter or my husband if they have any requests they would like. So if you are interested in what we have for dinner, you'll have to follow my blog...hahaha!

Snacks:  This is where I try to have my fruit servings.  I also have a fruit basket where I keep what ever fruits are in season.  And I have another basket for protein bars, 100 calorie popcorn, and other snacks of that nature.  I have half of a banana for breakfast, then I'll take the second half to the gym with me.  My fitness class starts at 7 am.  And most of our workouts last 30-45 minutes.  After my class I take my daughter to school.  And head back to the gym for my friend's class which starts at 8:15 am.   I'll eat the second half of the banana on my way to drop off my daughter.  I'll also take a granola bar or a protein bar to eat after my friend's class.  For the afternoon snack I'll slice up a small apple and peel a cutie and toss them into a baggie.  Sometimes if there are mangoes at the store I'll buy one and add it to my fruit baggie as well.  When grapes are in season, I'll buy some of them and then I might toss in a few of those too.

I also keep 100 calorie packs of walnuts and almonds. If you take the time to prep your veggie and fruit baskets you will always have fresh fruit and veggies on hand for snack time.  And that way you don't have to snack on candy bars and salty chips.  It works.

Dessert: You can have dessert, maybe not a piece of chocolate cake.  I totally have dessert.  Not every night but just because you change to a healthier lifestyle doesn't mean that you have to give up on desserts.  I have found a couple of ways that you can still enjoy ice cream.  The first one is Banana Ice Cream.  This is also a good way to use your ripened bananas.  For banana ice cream all you need is a frozen banana.  Take the banana, wrap it in plastic wrap so it doesn't get freezer burn, and place it in the freezer for a few hours.  After the banana is frozen break it up into a couple of chunks, although I guess you could do that before you freeze it, and toss it in a food processor and pulse.  It may take a bit but it will turn into ice cream.  I do like to add about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, depending on the size of the banana, just to help with the creaminess.  Now that's just the base and it's delicious as is, but if you want there are several things you can add to the ice cream.  You can add peanut butter, mini chocolate chips, frozen strawberries, a bit of chocolate sauce or really anything you can think of.  Just remember that with every mix in or topping you add more calories.
 
Another dessert I make is frozen yogurt sandwiches.  This one takes just 2 ingredients.  Healthy Choice Frozen Yogurt, they come in individual servings, and a graham cracker.  Just scoop out the frozen yogurt, place between the graham cracker and enjoy.  Recently I found Blue Bunny Double Strawberry Light Ice Cream that is only 90 calories for 1/2 cup.  And this also made a very yummy ice cream sandwich.  There is also a Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream that is 110 calories for 1/2 cup.  It's delicious.  You just have to look around and find what works for you.



Here are two simple and delicious recipes that are perfect for a summer time dessert:

Cantaloupe Granita

4 cups cubed cantaloupe melons

2 tbsp lime juice

1/3 cup light agave nectar

1/8 tsp salt

Place cantaloupe in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth.  Strain through a fine sieve over a bowl. Discard solids.  Stir in lime juice, agave nectar, and salt.  Pour mixture into an 8" square dish. Freeze at least 8 hours.  Remove mixture from freezer and scrape entire mixture with a fork until fluffy.

Watermelon Granita

10 cups diced watermelon, seeded

1/2 c. light agave nectar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

In a blender or food processor, place watermelon. Cover; blend on high about 2 minutes or until smooth, you may have to do this in two batches. Use a sieve, over a large bowl, to strain out any large pieces and any seeds. To the watermelon juice add 4 tbsp. lime juice and 1/4 c. agave nectar; stir until well blended. Pour into ungreased 9x13 inch glass baking dish. Cover; freeze 1 hour.  Scrape with fork. Freeze 3 hours longer, scraping every 30 minutes. Serve.

See I don't starve myself.  In fact I eat more now than before.  Once again you don't have to eat less you just have to eat right.  And for those that say it's too expensive.  It really isn't.  For the price of a footlong from Subway, you can buy a pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts; prep them and have chicken all week.  Even if you save have of the sub it won't last all week.  Another thing, the price of a bag of baby carrots is LESS than a 12 pack of coke.  And I have seen plenty of people with a couple of 12 packs in their baskets.  It just depends on what you want to spend your money on, being healthy?  Or eating yourself to an early grave.  Yeah yeah I know, eat right, exercise, die anyway.  But at least you'll have a better quality of life if you choose the healthy way.  You want to know what's expensive?  Medication.  My husband is diabetic, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bad thyroid (that's the source of all his problems), and I tell you his medicines are expensive.  I once told my doctor that eating healthy was expensive, and he said to me, "Triple bypass is expensive."  WOW truer words have not been spoken to me.  And I hope I never know exactly how much a triple bypass would cost.  And I'm pretty sure he didn't mean just monetarily.  If you don't want to spend the money on healthy eating, you will probably spend it later on medicine and hospital bills.

And for those that say it's too hard, I spend 2 hours at the gym and the rest of the time controlling what I eat. Yes, eating right is hard.  But it's the first thing you have to do to get healthy.  And if you think that all that fast food and junk food is easy, it's wrecking your body.  It's not easier, it's harder.  Make a healthier choice, it will be the best decision of your life.  You only have one life to live, you might as well make it the best you can.