Fall into Fitness

This is the way to stay on program for me: a week of tracking, of getting workouts in (mainly power walking) and trying new recipes. Why do I let myself slide so far off track when being on program feels so much better. *sigh* I'm basically starting all over again. No use crying over spilled milk, as they say. Anyway, I was down 5.4 pounds at weigh-in this morning. See tracking does work, Janet!

Anyway, let me share some of the recipes that I tried. I love the page of smoothie ideas in the September

issue of Cooking Light (Peanut Butter Berry) and it was refreshing though a bit tart. (My smoothie drinking child added sweetener.) I used skim milk instead of their suggested 1%, since that is what we have in the fridge, I had raspberries which I picked up at Costco and had forgotten to serve (so yeah!), and using one of my many over ripe bananas (my family basically eats green ones), I was good to go on this one without an extra trip to the store.

I've actually never (in recent memory anyway) used pb in a smoothie, even though it's a staple in our house. Not sure why! Easy protein- which I probably don't always get enough of.

The other smoothie I made from the double page spread was the Creamy Mango, Avocado and Lime one. I did it in the middle of the morning rush before work, even. Didn't enjoy dealing with the mess involved while rushing to be on time, but the smoothie itself was very refreshing and kept me feeling satisfied until lunch. My mango was a little unripe- I'll have to do it again with a ripe one, I had an avocado already on hand (love those things) and our garden has been taken over by mint- so that made me really want to try this one. It was unlike any smoothie I've ever made, and very refreshing. It made me think of something that might be served at a fancy spa before your facial and mud bath. har.

I also tried Crisp Lamb Lettuce Wraps from the August 2012 issue this week. I have to admit I didn't tell my family it was lamb. It was really tasty- loved the hint of cinnamon and with the lack of a bun, the two Boston leafy cups of lamb and veg was only four points. No one in my family would try the hummus/yogurt/pinenut sauce (why I served it on the side- since I know these people), but that was really good, too. I didn't go out and buy the suggested red pepper hummus, as my fridge is filled with other flavours of hummus and I'm trying to work on wasting less food (as well as losing weight), so I used the pinenut hummus we had in the fridge. 

Another CL dish I tested on my family this week, which I didn't have to pretend was something else, was the recipe makeover recipe in the September issue:  Chicken Nuggets with Crispy Potato Chips and Honey Mustard. My kids really liked them, especially my 13 year old and both my children took leftovers ones (I had way more nuggets than the suggested serving size) for lunch the next day. The cool thing about this recipe is that you marinate the chicken in pickle juice and buttermilk before dipping it in panko. It gives the chicken a nice pickle flavour. I did try the chip recipe, but couldn't find the required purple sweet potato, used a regular sweet potato (I like the chips, but my kids didn't really.), as well as fries from our low-fat chip maker (which I knew everyone would like). The whole meal deal was definitely one I'd make again. Plus, I bought that really large bag of panko from Costco, so...you know, the whole not wasting food thing... 

Summer Samplings

Hey any readers I have left! Trying to start off the summer eating healthily with actual tracking going on.

This weekend I made some CL pesto from fresh basil, crepes also from the Cooking Light binder (filled with eggs ala Cora's and Greek yogurt and fruit.) and cedar plank salmon with a tossed salad with CL vinaigrette.

Quick Test using a new app

She went to the cupboard and...

...the muffin dome was cracked and empty! Cracked because her children now did the dishes (erg but also, yeah!) and empty, cause she's not been baking because of other stuff going on. No reviews to do tonight.

I did have a pretty good week last week- losing 2.7 pounds at weigh-in and about halfway thru Christmas pounds. I only had a couple of workouts though and still need to get back to regular workouts. My goal for the week is to fit 3 workouts in before Saturday's weigh-in and to drink more water. Will let you know how that goes!

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Ok. just typed a long post and lost it! argh!

I'll skip the parts about the gym and a culinary disaster (for another day!) and just share my 6 point salted caramel hot chocolate with you. It was delicious and well worth the points, but you could easily cut back on some of the points if you had to. It is a decadent chocolatey treat however!

My hot chocolate mix (pictured above) worked out to 3 pts plus. Next I added salted caramel syrup (which I found at Winner's, but you can find them at any coffee supply store) for 1 pt. It's 3 points if you use 2 tbsps, but 1 tbsp is 1 and it's still a lot (you could cut back there). I used my milk frother and 1/2 c of skim b/t my dd13's mug and mine (so 1 point), and then a drizzle of caramel sauce for 1 point (the amount again was small in terms of allowed serving size). Finally, for the salt, I used my big chunky kosher salt.

and about the salt, and things that make you go "hmmmm" -at Starbucks they are always running out of this part of the drink. Why? I ask you? seems like the last thing they'd run out of?

and on a final sidenote, my fun mug was a Christmas gift from a friend. Anyone else love True Blood? :) Have a great week everybody!

-- Post From My iPhone

New Cookbooks for a New Year

Happy New Year ten days in! (better late than never?) Anyway, here's to your better health and fitness in 2012! Following that idea, I FINALLY made a New Year's resolution/pledge to my personal better health in 2012 (and my family's) by pledging to planning menus and trying new, healthy recipes. I aim to plan a number of recipes on Sunday of each week, attempt to better use what I have on hand (less waste in 2012!) and make a shopping list so that I don't have to make trips to the grocery store each day after work.

I did get a number of new cookbooks over the holidays that I plan to work from- besides my favourite magazine, Cooking Light and issues of Weight Watchers magazine. I have a couple other new cookbooks not pictured (am I a cookbook junkie or what, eh?), a new Clean Eating one from my sister given to me on my birthday in November and a healthy eating one by Canadian Living from our school library fundraiser.

I had a rather fattening Christmas holiday, making many of my recipes from Martha Stewart's holiday issue and this magazine from our liquor store (eep!):

Of my recipes that I planned this past Sunday, I made Potatoes, Leeks and Carrots in Parchment from Martha Stewart's Food Everyday Light (with the yellow cover above). I skipped the optional butter and the veggies were tender crisp and tasty anyway. My family ate most of it (saw some leek bits left behind) and it was very easy. The picture looks a little bland. It was prettier in real life! I didn't have any thyme (no joke there), so that would have added a little something, something to it, too, I'm sure. One serving worked out to 3 points plus.

I also made one crockpot recipe: Chicken Tortilla Soup from the Williams-Sonoma The New Slow Cooker Cookbook. I really enjoyed it, and even my dubious family liked it overall. Only dd11 was not enamored, though even she ate quite a bit of it. I cut back on the jalapeno pepper a little (using 1/2 of one as opposed to the 1-2 suggested) and I used fire-roasted tomatoes, instead of regular canned ones. I loved the addition of avocado (mmmmm...avocado!), but my family wouldn't try it or the cilantro (my picky dh influences my children with his dislike of certain foods, but our hamster also didn't like cilantro, so dd11 was influenced by him. True story! ;) )

I guesstimated the soup to be around 8-9 points plus with the avocado, corn and the shredded chicken. The chips are extra, of course!

Finally, from Cooking Light's new The Complete Quick Cook, I tried Pork Medallions with Port Wine-Dried Cherry Pan Sauce. It was delicious! So delicious that I forgot to take a picture of it! oops! I did snap the following pic while I was cooking it. I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used regular red wine (not sweet or port) and I cooked the pork medallions longer than suggested in the recipe. The instructions were a little vague for my liking in that regard, suggesting it done on "low temperature." I did it on medium.

My family liked it, too, though no one really gave the sauce a fair shot- dh said it "wasn't bad" but he'd already slathered his with his beloved HP sauce. lol. The sauce was delicous. Trust me! Well worth the 9 points for 4 medallians and 2 tbsp of delicious sauce. :)