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Wordless Wednesday

Mini Lasagna- Yummo!

 

[caption id="attachment_1798" align="aligncenter" width="512" caption="Mini Lasagna (made with won-ton wrappers) - Yummo!"][/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_1799" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Mini Lasagna on my plate. :D "][/caption]

SUPER awesome and easy recipe Here.

Product Review: Rice Twice and Raisin Bran by Erewhon

Product Review: Rice Twice  and Raisin Bran by Erewhon

* Note: I was sent 2 boxes of cereal by Attune Foods after Fitbloggin to sample and review. The thoughts and opinions below  regarding the product are my own.

I AM IN LOVE.

With a cereal.

I have to tell you, I am usually not a big fan of crispy rice cereal. Well, unless it is covered in butter and marshmallows and cut into thick gooey squares. YUMMO. It gets soggy quick and I am not usually a fan of the taste. Let’s just say it was never my first choice in cereal.

Until now.

Anyway, at Fitbloggin, I got a chance to try Erewhon cereals at breakfast each morning. Roni had arraigned for an array of berries to add to 4 or 5 different kinds of cereal. They only one that looked interesting was the Gluten Free Crispy Brown Rice. I was intrigued by the fact that it was made with brown rice and that it was gluten free (I have a good friend who is gluten intolerant and I am always on the lookout for good GF products).

I poured myself a bowl and add 1 percent milk, blueberries, blackberries and a packet of Splenda.

WOWIE ZOWIE!!  So Freaking. Good. I ended up going back for seconds. The brown rice is crisp, and while it did get a tiny bit soggy at the end, I actually was eating the tasty crispies up so fast, they didn’t have time to get soggy! :)

Before I left Fitbloggin, after the group picture, there was a swag room with all the leftover swag from bags or just products from sponsors. I bee-lined to the cereal table and picked up another box of Crispy Brown Rice. I also found  Annalies, the Attune guru, who gave me an adorable Attune bowl that has a screw-tight lid.

[caption id="attachment_1787" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Adorable green bowl from Attune Foods"]Green attune bowl for cereal[/caption]

SCORE!! When I got back to my room, I remembered I had a (very) strict one carryon, one purse rule on the plane and I was not about to crush my precious box of deliciousness. I had already packed my carryon to the point of bursting. So I used the string backpack from Sears FitStudio to “smuggle” the box carefully onto the plane—the gate attendant didn’t even notice!!

[caption id="attachment_1786" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="GF Crispy Brown Rice"][/caption]

When I got home, I mentioned on Twitter to Annalies that I loved the cereal and bowl I had gotten from Fitbloggin, she mentioned that she would be happy to send out a few boxes of the other Erewhon cereals for me to try out.

I went to their website and picked 2: Rice Twice and Raisin Bran.

I was not disappointed.

Raisin Bran

[caption id="attachment_1785" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Raisin Bran "][/caption]

I used to eat another brand of Raisin Bran every morning – until I realized how much sugar was in each serving. I liked the taste, and I loved that it was full of healthy fiber. But all that sugar? Oof.

When I learned that Erewhon’s version of Raisin Bran had MUCH lower sugar and that the sugar was not table sugar but organic barley malt.

The fiber-filled flakes are not so much a flake, but much closer to what a wheat berry would look like when just steamed. The berries have a very earthy, wheat flavor that is tasty and crunchy- very good. The raisins are plump and not covered in sugar like other brands might be- they are naturally sweet and delicious. I have about 2 servings left in the box and I am already looking for a store that sells it.

Rice Twice

[caption id="attachment_1788" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Rice Twice!! Love it!"][/caption]

As much as I loved the Raisin Bran, I loved Rice Twice even more.

Seriously, I DREAM about this cereal.

It’s great: crispy brown and puffy brown rice meet, have a subtle glaze of honey and rice syrup drizzled over them, and they end up in your breakfast bowl.

So tasty, so light, so right.

So amazing.

I have already bought 3 boxes of this stuff and I just noticed this morning that I have only one serving left. Gonna have to get myself to the store and get some more, I guess. :)

By the way, I wish I could buy a set of the adorable green Attune bowls. The one I have is the perfect size to take leftovers to work, a bowl of cereal (of course), nice to use as a place to whip up my egg whites. I need 4 since I am too lazy busy to wash the one I have after each use… hence the picture in the dishwasher! :)

Over the hump??? (and a CONGRATS!)

… I may be speaking too soon, but I just might have gotten myself over the proverbial hump of starting (what seemed to be a monumental shift in )a new way of eating today.

Finally.

It didn’t seem “Hard” today- While I didn’t get much sleep (ok any) last night for a ton of reasons, I got myself out of bed at 6am, got my workout clothes on, and worked out. (the link will show you how excited I really was about this feat) :-)

Oh screw it, I will post it again here too! ;-) I am proud, darn it!

kick ass twitter

I ate Breakfast:

  • 5 high fiber crackers
  • cottage cheese
  • 5 oz OJ
  • Fruit 2Day – Cherry Grape
  • water

A snack:

Ran errands to the grocery store, bank and gas station. Worked on my resume, updated tried to update itunes

Ate lunch:

spent time applying for jobs, played with the house felines, took a 20 minute nap, caught up with friends via phone

Snack:

  • 1 serving 1/2 Kix 1/2 Kashi GoLean ceral and 1% Lactaid milk

Ate Dinner: Take out from Reza’s Mediterranean in Chicago – healthy and YUMMO!

  • 3 grilled Mushroom skewers (9 mushrooms)
  • 2 grilled Veggie skewers (4 carrot pieces, 4 mushrooms, 4 zucchini pieces)
  • 1 grilled chicken skewer
  • About 6 spoonfuls of the best rice I have ever had
  • 1/8th of a pita
  • ice tea/unsweetened lemonade
  • water

I had a very satisfying dinner full of veggies and lean protein- i didn’t miss the heavy sauces or sweets I would usually consume at dinner. It is about 2 hours after eating and I don’t feel sluggish and the need to fall asleep in front of the TV- actually, I think I am going to go unpack a few boxes.

This morning I took a page from Jen at Prior Fat Girl and took My Sweaty Proof pic after I worked out early this AM- I shared it with her for her page and thought I would share it here:

[caption id="attachment_1033" align="aligncenter" width="461" caption="Sweaty Proof and proud of me!"]Sweaty Proof![/caption]

Also- I made it over 7000 steps today!! :-0 (I know it says “1 day before” but that is because I can’t remember how to change the time lol)

[caption id="attachment_1034" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Over 7000 baby!"]Over 7000 baby![/caption]

Finally I was proud to say “I KNOW HER! I’ve even hung out with her!!!” when I opened cnn.com’s homepage today– Roni made the bigtime! Not only is she on the homepage for losing 70lbs, but she is the most popular story right now!! CONGRATS GIRL! (She’s even more popular that the healthcare bill passing the senate!!)

[caption id="attachment_1035" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Check out that popularity!"]Roni on cnn.com's homepageRoni on cnn.com’s homepage

Check out that popularity![/caption]

Off to unpack!

AJ Loves Turducken!

Have you ever had Turducken?

Here is how Wikipedia explains it:

A turducken is a dish consisting of a partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The thoracic cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are stuffed, sometimes with a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture or sausage meat, although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird.

We had aundui sausage and cornbread stuffing inside- it was fantastic.

I was celebrating with friends that will not be in town for the “real” Thanksgiving, so this was an early turkey day.

Normally, I would be all freaked out about eating such high fat food (and alot of it), but I think I did really well.

I drank one soda, one very small glass of white wine, 1 smallish peice of the turkey and chicken (I don’ eat duck) and the stuffing that was on it, steamed asparagus with lemon, a small serving of green bean casserole, a normal serving of mashed potatoes with garlic and onions and a very small piece of the BEST pumpkin pie I have ever had. The friend who brought it said it was Paula Dean’s version so you KNOW it was FATTY and AMAZING, all at the same time. I looked up the recipe, and more for posterity, I am posting it here:

Pumpkin Pie

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 15 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
  • 1 piece pre-made pie dough
  • Whipped cream, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.

Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.

(this recipe is from here.)

I cannot explain how good this pie is.

Anyway, I was proud of myself for enjoying the evening, the company AND the food. Early on in the day, I remembered something Roni said about her eating habits (paraphrasing): If she knows she is going to have a big meal later in the day, she will make a concious choice to eat smaller healthier meals throughout the day to make up for the big one (and calories) she is going to have later.

People who are naturaully thin still eat unhealthy meals now and then– emphasis on the NOW AND THEN. Just because one meal is bad, doesn’t meal they ALL have to be.

Here is what I had for the rest of the day:

Breakfast:

  • 1 serving fruit – fresh blueberries
  • 1 serving high fiber crackers
  • 1 serving low fat cottage cheese
  • water

Lunch:

  • Water
  • a few rice crackers
  • smoked turkey breast
  • low fat cheese cubes
Dinner:
  • Turducken meal (above)

Still no workout, and I am sad to say I didn’t meet my goal of walking 6k steps today– I only got to 4K. But I will try again tomorrow.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!


Did you wear green?!?! Or did you get pinched?!?! :-)

Monday, March 17, 2008

Morning
1  serving Starkbucks non fat no whip 2 pump mocha, 3 pump vanilla 5
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt 1.5
1/2 cup blueberries 0.5
1/2 cups strawberries 0
Subtotal 7
Midday
1/4 cup canned black beans 0.5
2  oz cooked chicken fillet 2
1/4 cup canned white corn 0.5
1  serving Iceberg Lettuce 0
1/4 cup barbecue sauce 1
32  oz water 0
Subtotal 4
Evening
chips – Quick-added food 6
1/2 cup salsa 0
8  fl oz Diet Coke 0
32  oz water 0
1  Mexican Bean and Tortilla Pie 3
Subtotal 9
Snacks
chocolate eggs – Quick-added food 3
1  bar Mint cookie crisp 2
Subtotal 5
Food POINTS values total used 25
Food POINTS values remaining 1
Activity
No entries for activity.   
Activity POINTS values earned 0
Check off these important items daily:
Water
        
Milk & Milk Products
   
Fruit & Vegetables
        
Multivitamin
 
Oil
   
Activity
 

Weight in is tomorrow!! We shall see if I did better on CORE or FLEX…

I tried a new recipe today – it was actually really good:

Mexican Bean and Tortilla Pie
 

POINTS® Value: 3
Servings:  6
Preparation Time:  18 min
Cooking Time:  35 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy
Course: main meals

Store leftovers for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 3/4 cup salsa
  • 1 cup canned tomato sauce
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
  • 1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
  • 4 serving Low fat/high fiber tortillas
  • 14 oz canned black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed

Instructions


Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine tomato sauce, salsa, cilantro, chili powder and cumin in a small bowl.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add as many tortillas as will fit in one layer. Cook about 1 minute, turning once, until lightly toasted. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Spoon 1/4 cup of tomato sauce mixture over bottom of a 10-inch pie plate or other round, shallow baking dish. Top with a tortilla and 1/4 cup more sauce. Spread with 1/2 cup of mashed beans; top with 2 tablespoons of green chilies and 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients to form 3 more layers and then top with remaining tortilla, sauce and cheese.
Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until heated through and sauce bubbles around edges, about 5 minutes more. Cut into 6 wedges and serve. Yields 1 wedge per serving.

AJ’s notes: I changed this from the WW website – I only had a reg sized can of black beans (should have used 2 regular sized cans) and I took out the chopped canned green chilies – I don’t like them. I also used these GREAT tortillas (of course- no picture – they are the olive oil whole grain rye wraps) that are only one point each (90 cal; 3gr fat; 13 grams protein, yep 13!!)- so that lowered the pt count to 3 instead of 4. The way the recipe appears above is how I made it.


Cool new product!

I found a really cool new product -Bird’s Eye Steamfresh Brown Rice. it is in the vegetable section with all the other Steamfresh items. It comes in brown, white and white with veggies varieties, and though I am not sure of the pts value, the brown rice is Core. I usually don’t like brown rice, but I LOVE this version and will be eating it as long as they make it. It is also 2 servings per package (2 cups total), so I won’t overeat. I wish I had a picture for you but the Bird’s Eye website does not even have them listed yet. Anyway, if you see the rice, try it- it cooks up in 5 minutes and is extry fluffy!

Blueberry and Green Tea Smoothie Recipe

I am loving this – it is from Prevention magazine. I am not a tea drinker but I LOVE this. You can’t even taste the tea. Though it is a bit high in points, it gives a serving of milk and fruit.  This recipe serves two.

Submitted By: Mindy Fox

Antioxidants abound in this refreshing–and filling–breakfast drink. Green tea and blueberries protect your cells from free radicals, which damage DNA in the mitochondria, the key players in your body’s calorie-burning engine. Almonds provide natural protein and healthy monounsaturated fat, while flaxseed adds inflammation-fighting omega-3 fats to the mix. Brewing the tea the night before saves time in the morning. Drink one smoothie today and refrigerate the other serving for tomorrow.

Original recipe yield: 2
Prep Time:
10 Minutes
Ready In:
8 Hours 10 Minutes
Servings:
2 (Change)

3/4 cup water
2 green tea bags
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
3 ice cubes
12 ounces fat-free vanilla yogurt
2 tablespoons whole dry-roasted, unsalted almonds
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

  1. Bring water to a boil and pour over tea bags. Steep 4 minutes. Squeeze and remove tea bags and discard. Chill tea overnight. If using fresh blueberries, place in freezer overnight.
  2. Place tea, blueberries, ice, yogurt, almonds, and flaxseed in blender. Process until smooth.

Servings Per Recipe: 2
Amount Per Serving

Calories: 345
Total Fat: 9.8g
Cholesterol: 3mg
Sodium: 131mg
Total Carbs: 55.2g
Protein: 13.7g ** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients.

hot wings!

This is from my favorite website Hungrygirl.com. Sounds good right?? J I am making it tonight and will share my thoughts later…

———– Right Wing!Ready for a crispy, hot boneless buffalo wing swap? You BETTER be. These spicy nuggets will blow your mind! And for an all-out b-wing experience, serve ‘em with celery sticks and some low-cal bleu cheese or ranch dressing (mmmm!)… Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast, cut into 10 nugget-shaped pieces
  • 1/4 cup Fiber One bran cereal (original), ground to a breadcrumb-like consistency in a blender or food processor
  • 1 oz. (about 14 crisps) Pringles Light Fat Free Potato Crisps, Barbecue (or another fat-free BBQ-flavored potato chip)
  • 3 tbsp. Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
  • dash onion powder
  • dash garlic powder
  • dash cayenne pepper
  • dash black pepper
  • dash salt

 Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Crush potato crisps completely and, in a small dish, mix with cereal crumbs. Add a dash of each of the seasonings and mix well. Place chicken pieces in a separate dish, and cover and toss with Frank’s RedHot. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray. Give each chicken piece a shake (so it’s not dripping with RedHot), and then coat it evenly with the crumb mixture. Lay the battered nuggets on the baking pan. Place in the oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Then flip the wings over, and return them to the oven for 10 more minutes, or until outsides are crispy and chicken is cooked throughout. MAKES 2 SERVINGS Serving Size: 5 wings (half of recipe) Calories: 175Fat: 1.5g Sodium: 1,153mg** Carbs: 14g Fiber: 4g Sugars: <1g Protein: 27g  WW POINTS® value 3

New Favorite Breakfast Item

Have you tried Jimmy Dean D-Lights yet? They are reduced fat breakfast sandwiches that actually taste good! I had the Turkey Sausage, egg white and whole grain english muffin version this morning – and it was GOOOD!
Here are the Nutritionals:

  • 260 calories
  • 7 grams of fat
  • 2 grams fiber
  • 18 grams protein

In my book, that is 5 WW points.

I can’t seem to find a picture that is not flash, but check them out. I bought a box of 12 from Sam’s Club so they were like 95 cents a piece….I have seen them at the regular grocery store for a lot more… Enjoy!

Grilled Peaches photo

peaches.jpgHere are my grilled peaches from a few days ago – It has cinnamon and Splenda on it also. mmmm!