A little Java fix

I planned and pack today's snacks last night with full intentions on eating them.  However, I was crrraaaving a coffee all day.  I would have stopped by Starbucks on the way into work, but I had just eaten breakfast and thought I would wait until I digested a bit and then pay the campus barista a little visit.  Well a few meetings later and it was snack time.  But instead of turning to my hard boiled eggs or cottage cheese for comfort I indulged in a non-fat latte with a packet of truvia (similar to Splenda) stirred in.  I drank that about as fast as I could and loved every little sip!!!

slurp!!!

Lunch was an even better version of last nights taco wraps.  I was lucky enough to find some salsa to use as my dressing (!!!!) and the added moisture and spice made this salad a winning combo! 

SCORE!

I packed the turkey mix separate so I could heat it in the microwave. I love it when I can find a way to have a cold dish with some hot elements...its tastes like I'm getting it from a restaurant or something.  I washed it all down some Crystal Light because it gives me the sweet punch I always crave after I eat something savory.

can't figure out how the get the picture upright, but you get the idea.

MMMM Tasty!

How great is reality t.v.?!?!

I would first like to offer an apology that I didn't update the blog with the delicious tacos I mentioned in yesterdays lunch post.  But it was Wednesday night and that meant: Survivor!, the season finale of Top Chef!, and the new Real World.  I must admit, Jon and I are suckers for reality TV. 

Onto last nights dinner.

I made those taco lettuce wraps I name dropped last night.  They were quite good, but a bit dry.  For my second wrap I added some Cafe Yumm sauce (only 1 carb and 0 grams of sugar) and that helped a bit.  We had quite a bit left over so I made a taco salad for lunch today.  I think I'll have to pop down to the cafeteria in hopes of scoring some salsa as my dressing :)

Big ol' Lettuce wraps!

improved by some Yumm Sauce

I discovered this recipe on Kayln's Kitchen.
For tacos:
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. minced garlic (I used minced garlic from a jar, but fresh garlic would be even better)
1-2 T diced green chiles (I used about half of a 4 oz. jar of diced green chiles, recipe called for fresh chiles which would be a bit hotter)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle chile powder (recipe called for cayenne)
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 large bunch cilantro, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups chopped cilantro. I used 1 cup in tacos and 1/4 cup in salsa. Use more or less cilantro to taste.)
2 T fresh lime juice
2 large heads romaine lettuce (or use iceberg, Boston lettuce, or butter lettuce)

Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan then add minced garlic and diced green chiles and saute about 1 minute. (I used a non-stick pan. If you use fresh garlic and chiles, I'd cook them a bit longer.) Add cumin and ground chipotle or cayenne and cook about 1 minute more. Then add turkey and salt and cook over medium-high heat, breaking apart with the back of the turner as it cooks. Cook about 5 minutes, or until turkey is starting to brown.

While turkey cooks, thinly slice green onions and set aside, then wash cilantro, spin dry or dry with paper towels, and finely chop cilantro. Cut off root end of lettuce, discard tough outer leaves, and wash lettuce and spin dry in salad spinner or dry with paper towels.

When turkey is lightly browned, add sliced green onions and cook about 2 minutes. Turn off heat, then stir in 1 cup chopped cilantro and 2 T lime juice.

For salsa:
2 medium avocados, diced
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T olive oil (optional)
sea salt to taste

Peel and dice avocado, place in glass or plastic bowl and toss with lime juice. Stir in chopped tomato, chopped cilantro, and olive oil, season to taste with salt.

Jon ate his like a man in a real tortilla, and Brew kept him company in case anything dropped her way :)

 I followed up dinner with a jello cup and half of a hard boiled egg.  I was intending to have the eggs for a snack today, but one cracked so I just had to try it :)

After dinner and dessert, I snuggled up on the couch with my girl Brew to take in some of the aforementioned reality television.

My fav' snuggle buddy!

Workout
This morning I completed shoulders and arms from the P90X program.  I seriously LOVE this workout program!!  I also love this morning workout.  If I could wish for one thing (body related) I would want nice tone/definition in my arms.  This workout helps to get me there :)  I followed this up with Ab RipperX.  I always dread doing the Ab Ripper, but the last time I completed P90X I left out Ab Ripper 80% of the time....this go 'round I made the commitment to (as Nike says) JUST DO IT!  I always feel so proud of myself when I finish.  Its the small victories in life.

Breakfast
During my workout/shower I was wracking my brain for what sounded good for breakfast.  I landed on the eggy breakfast that I had two days ago.  However, I omitted the cheese and replaced it with three slices of canadian bacon.  It was tasty, but I think the first one I made was better...next time I won't leave out the cheese!

Toppin' my meat with my eggs

Ready to dive in!

Hope you're morning is treating you fantastic!

Chili, Chili, CHA CHA CHA!

As promised I had chili for lunch today!  And it was just as tasty the second time around.  But first, let cover my mid-morning snack!

Today I enjoyed a SBD take on guac with veggie dippers.  I mixed up 1/2 an avocado, cottage cheese (for protein), some onions, red chili flakes, garlic and cilantro. 

fun little snack :D

The vessels with which I shoveled this dip to my mouth were: radishes, celery, zucchini, and a Japanese cucumber.  It was quite a tasty treat but it didn't keep me full for long.  I was prepared for this so I added a string cheese into the mix...  and it was a trivia string cheese at that! 

Q: No matter where you are in Australia, what are you never more than 625 mile from?
A: The ocean

I love fun facts paired with fun foods.  C'mon, you can't tell me that string cheese isn't fun!  Especially when you reallllly string it! 

Lovin' on my string cheese!

Wanna know an adorable fun fact about my 83 year old grandma?  She went her whole life not knowing that string cheese got its name from being stringy.  She just though it was called string cheese because it was shaped long a thick string!  Isn't that sooo stinking cute?!  Grandmas are the best!

Isn't she GORGEOUS?!?!

Lunch
As mentioned above, I enjoyed another heaping portion of last nights chili, sans ricotta because I forgot it this morning.  I did, however, LOAD it up with extra tomatoes and cilantro.  You know how sometimes stuff tastes better depending on the weather?  For example, nothing sounds better to me than an ice cold corona on a hot day, in much the same way my soup sounded especially good today because of the grey Oregon skies.  Aaand, I've still got a little left in the fridge that I may just have to use as a snack tomorrow :)

Now doesn't like look juuust about perfect?

I am also enjoying my second snack now, which is the same yogurt snack that I've had the last two days so I'll spare you another picture.  The reason I'm having it so late you wonder?  We're making spicy taco lettuce wraps tonight, but they take a bit to cook and I don't want to be too famished while I'm watching the goodness simmer to fruition.  Plus, its not raining so I might take Brew for a walk.  Yes, its grey and cold, but any dry day in Oregon is a good day! 

For your veiwing pleasure, a pic of Brew on her first "big girl' walk....even though she was still a lil girl :)

My first attempt at the GREEN MONSTER!

Green Monster talk in a second, first last nights dessert.

I left you wondering how my jello ricotta dessert concoction would taste.  The verdit: meehhh... I'd give it a B-.  It was definitely better than my PB/Ricotta/Pudding concotion, but I am still getting used to the grainy texture of the ricotta cheese.  Hopefully my palette warms up to it quick!

Workout
I confessed my sin to you last night:  I didn't get my workout in on Tuesday.  The good news with P90X is, its a 6 day/ week program, so since I skipped my Tuesday workout I am just going to shift all my workouts over one day (i.e. instead of working out M-Sa, I'll do M, rest Tu, W-Su).  Ya dig?  Again this morning I didn't want to get out of my cozy cozy bed, but I knew I needed to get my endorphins flowing.  I quickly changed and started grooving to CardioX.  I;m sure glad I did!  I LOVE the feeling I get after each and every workout, and today was no different!  The added bonus is knowing I can check my workout off my to-do list first thing in the AM. 

Breakfast
So far the biggest struggle for me on this intese 2-week phase of SBD is breakfast.  I usually crave fruit or some major carbs after my workout and I am currently not allowed to have either.  I wasn't feeling eggs so I got my mental wheels turning on some other options.  I settled on creating my own verion of the Green Monster smoothie!  If you haven't heard of this, its basically a smoothie with tons 'o spinach but isn't supposed to taste like spinach at all.  Generally the recipe calls for protein powder, a banana, and some alomnd milk.  Since I was allowed any of those items I made my own version.  Into my blender went:

- Cottage Cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
- A little 1% milk
- Tbs. Cocoa Powder
- Two Trevia packets (I started with one but after my first taste realized I needed another)
- Mocha Via instant coffee (which I have since learned has REAL sugar in it!  Ugh...)
- two big handfuls of spinach
- Ice cubes for thickening

Adding the Nutrients

Ready to indulge in my not-so-visually appealing Green Monster!

It wasn't as amazing as I was hoping, but it wasn't too disappointing either.  I'm not a huge fan of chocolate (but that does NOT translate to me not liking sweets...give me a barrel of sour patch kids or starburst any day!) but since that was all I had to make this taste a bit "sweeter" I threw it in.  The real bummer though is that I have been trying so hard to stick to the whole "no fruit, sugar or carbs thing" and unbeknownst to me, I added 11g into this shake via the instant coffee packet (pun inteneded :)).  I thought I was safe adding this since the un-flavored version is sugar free, but apprently thats not the case with the mocha guy.  Oh well, lession learned. 

I drank the whole thing, but I think I'll wait until phase two when I can add back in some fruit and carbs before I make this again.  Hopefully the protein powder will help it stick to my ribs a bit better, I'm already starrrving.  Off to enjoy my yogurt cup!

In search of a winning Desset....

Hello friends!

I have some good news and a little bad.  Since my good news is much more exciting than the bad, I'll tell the bad first.

Bad news:  I never did get in my workout tonight like I was hoping.  This isn't all that surprising since statistically if I don't get my workout in first thing in the morning there is a 90% chance it won't happen all day.  I can attribute this to a couple of things.
1) I am usually a bit drained of energy when I get home from work and like to melt into the couch (although one of the bonus' of living the South Beach way is I shooouuld have more energy soon - once my blood sugar levels out).
2) We live in a tiny tiny apartment with juuust enough space to workout in the living room comfortably (i.e. I can kick and lunge and move all over without hitting anything/walls), but if I workout after work Jon usually has some game on in the living room that he is super invested in, which means I am relegated to the bedroom for my workout.  The less than fortunate part about that is that working out in the bedroom means I have about a six by four foot space to get all "fitnessy".
3) I found a great recipe that I wanted to whip up for tonight, so as soon as I left work I made a bee line for our grocery store and once I got home I just couldn't bring myself to put off cooking in favor of a workout --- crazy for someone who has always claimed they don't like to cook.

Good News:  I ate lots of yummy stuff today, and haven't even gotten to dessert (which I'm hoping will be a vast improvement from last nights failure).  I intially was planning on making a eggplant lasagna, sans noodles, but turns out the area where my store gets their eggplants from is flooded so they are "nearly impossible to come by" - according to my produce guy at Fred Meyer.  Plan B was a chili.  I was planning to make the chili anyway for tomorrow's lunch, so I just decided to make enough to have for dinner tonight and leftovers for lunch tomorrow.  I made a SBD "Turkey and White Bean Chili" with a couple variations.  I topped it off with cilantro, fresh cut tomatoes, and a dollop of ricotta cheese (that made it uber creamy).  It was a HUGE success according to myself (who is not at all biased;)) and Jon.  His only comment was that the turkey was a bit chewy (a tell tale sign of an unexperienced chef like myself), but that it felt like he was eating steak so he gave it a thumbs up!  I'll chalk this up as a VIC. TOR.Y!

I'm such a frantic cook... I try to prep but I always find myself scrambling to get things in the pot "in time".

Chili getting all cooked up!

Topped with Ricotta, tomatoes, and cilantro.

All stirred up and ready for me to inhale!

I also whipped up a ricotta/strawberry jello mix for dessert that I found on a great SBD go to site, Kayln's Kithcen.  It was super simple to make.  While boiling water for the Jello, stir up the ricotta to smooth it out.  Then combine the water, Jello and ricotta and pop it in the fridge.  The hardest part is waiting for it to "jell".  Stay tuned for a report on that manana... <----still clinging to my Mexican vacation :)

Dessert "jelled" and ready to dish!

His and hers plates, topped with a small dollop of Non-Fat Reddi Whip!

Here are the recipes:

Turkey and White Bean Chili

2 (1 1/4-cup) Servings

Description
This yummy chili can be made many different ways, if you want to experiment. Try using chicken instead of turkey or navy, black, or pinto beans in place of the white ones. Top it with a tablespoon or two of shredded low-fat cheddar or jack cheese, sliced scallions, or chopped cilantro. You can even use chipotle chili powder for a smoky taste, in place of regular.
 
Prep time: 10 minutes 
Start to finish: 30minutes 

Ingredients (I doubled all ingredients)
1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped 
1 garlic clove, minced 
1/2 pound turkey cutlets, cut into 1/2" pieces 
1/2 tablespoon chili powder 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/2 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (I used a can of black and a can of chili beans - pinto beans dressed in a chili marinade)
1/2 (14.5-ounce) can Mexican diced tomatoes 
1/2 cup lower-sodium chicken broth 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper (omitted this on accident, but it still tasted great)


Instructions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Add turkey, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring often, until turkey is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes. 

Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve. 

Nutritional Information:

260 calories
5 total fat (0.5 g sat)
21 g carbohydrate
34 g protein
6 g fiber
500 mg sodium

Jelled Ricotta Pudding 
Makes 4 servings

1 pkg sugar-free Jello, any flavor that appeals to you
(this recipe is for 4-serving size package, double it for larger box of Jello.)
1 cup boiling water
2/3 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup cold water

Put ricotta cheese into bowl and stir with fork or whisk until it's slightly softened. Have four glass dishes (slightly over 1/2 cup each) ready on counter to pour the hot Jello mixture into.

Put powdered Jello from package into large glass measuring cup, pour in boiling water and whisk for 1-2 minutes, until all Jello is dissolved in the water. Stir in ricotta, then cold water and mix together. Pour into glass bowls and place in refrigerator to set. I waited about 2 hours until the mixture was partly firm, then covered it with cling wrap.

Serve cold, from individual dishes.

Day 2- A SUCCESSSSS

Before moving onto day 2, I want to recap my dessert last night. While my PB/ricotta/chocolate pudding dessert sounded very promising... it didn't deliver. I had a couple of bites and traded it out for another jello cup. 0 grams of sugar and 10 calories?! Yessss please :)

Now for breakky this morning. I knew I had the egg "fritatta" muffins that I had whipped up on Sunday in the fridge, but I was feeling an omeltte. Into the pan went two whole eggs, a handfull of spinach, a sprinkling of mushrooms, and a lite blue cheese laughing cow cheese wedge (I love me some blue cheese!). I seasoned it with salt and pepper and then topped it with some sliced cherry tomatoes and some tabasco (I could eat hot sauce on just about anything). I packed it to-go, along with my lunch and snacks and was out the door.

This breakfast was a BIG winner in my book. Not only was it delicious, but it kept me full for about three hours - well after when I planned on having my first snack.

Speaking of snacks, I again brought a greek yogurt cup to enjoy. This time I added some almond extract, in place of vanilla, and topped it with slivered almonds again. I am pretty sure I could eat this snack all day every day if I could get all my nutrients from it.  The almonds add such a GREAT crunch!

There is something so comforting about almond extract to me. A little goes a long way but the flavor is incredible. I think it takes me back to the holidays when my family cooks insane amounts of cookies - many of which incorporate almonds or almond extract in some way.

Even though my yogurt cup kept me full for a good three hours (again, longer than anticipated) I couldn't wait to break into the lunch I packed. I made a salad of spinach, broccoli slaw (another trick I learned from Julie), and cherry tomatoes. I topped it with some salmon that I grilled up last night and then tossed it all up with a honey dijon dressing I snagged from our cefeteria. I couldn't eat this fast enough. It was soooo yummy!

pre-mixed

all shook up!

Its a good thing I was blogging during my lunch or I literally mught not even remember how it tasted I would've eaten it so quick!

Now that I'm fat (wait, isn't this what I am trying to avoid? ;)) and happy, I'm going to return to work.

If you're wondering about my workout this morning... it didn't happen. I think I am still getting caught up on my sleep from the trip and I couldn't seem to pull myself out of bed this morning. The extra couple of hours did me well! I feel refreshed and ready to take on CardioX when I get home :)

Made it through day Uno!

Still in the Mexican spirit after my Mazatlan vacation last week :)

I've made it through day one...well there are still a couple more hours, but I'm just about to dive into dessert and retire for the night.

I had a good first day back at work, but it was busy so I was very thankful that I had planned my lunch and snacks last night.  Otherwise, I would have been tempted to head down to the cafeteria and pick up the easiest (and not necessarily healthiest) thing.

For my morning snack I enjoyed some Fage Greek yogurt (I LOVE!) mixed with a dash of vanilla extract and a packet of splenda.  I topped it with slivered almonds... YUMMY!  This is one of my favorite snacks of all time - its sweet but packs a good protein punch! I enjoyed it alongside a cup of vanilla carmel tea.

Next up was lunch.  I was super excited to eat my lunch today because I have read all about using spaghetti squash as noodles on Julie's blog (also highly recommend!).  It certainly lived up to my expectations.  I prepped the squash last night by cutting it and then baking it face down on a cookie sheet at 375 for 40 minutes.  I then scooped out the seeds and forked out my "noodles".  I topped it with sauteed broccoli, spinach and mushrooms then added marinara, goat cheese and a heaping spoonful of ricotta.  This meal definitely hit the spot and filled me up, but of course I had to have some sweets. I finished my meal with a Jello cup.  Perfect!

Pre-Stirred

Pre-Stirred

Since my lunch was lacking a bit of protein I was hungry not too long after, so I learned my first SBD lesson: fiber keeps you regular but protein keeps you full.  I'll make sure to have protein at all my main meals going forward.  For my afternoon snack I packed sliced red peppers, sugar snap peas and broccoli stems... all of which I dipped into my roasted red pepper hummus.

By the time I left work I was hungry again, and craving some carbs and sweets.  Luckily my honey used to be a chef and whipped us up some turkey burgers with roasted cauliflower and onions.  I placed my burger over a bed of spinach and tomatoes and topped it off with avocado and spicy hot mustard.  I'm happy to report that I didn't miss the bun :)  The burger was so juicy and the mustard was so sweet/spicy that I enjoyed every last bite!

Burger and grilled onions cookin' away

Veggies roastin' in the oven

the YUMMY finished product!

Now finally I am off to enjoy my ricotta/peanut butter/and chocolate pudding dessert :)

Ready to tackle day 2!!!  See ya in the morning!

First day on the South Beach Diet

Well I'm here.  Day one of the South Beach Diet.  Its about time since I've been thinking of doing this diet for a month or so.  I just got back from a week in Mexico, where I drank buckets of margaritas and ate chips and guac like they were going out of style.  I figured what better time to hop on the healthy bandwagon than when you feel that post vacation guilt (and gut :)).

The thing about me is, when I decide I am going to do something, I commit 100%.  So when I first heard about this diet (through an interview with Dr. Oz on my favorite morning radio show: Johnjay and Rich- if you don't know them, check them out!) I decided to look into it.  The diet is based on the principal that losing weight is a bonus, the real goal is get your body running in its best possible form.  I am a huge advocate of health and nutrition so when I realized this diet is meant to be a lifestyle I was all the more convinced of what it can do for my body.  After doing a bit of research I went to one of my favorite sites Amazon and quickly bought four books.  I have read them now cover to cover (lots of spare time while lounging by the pool) and Jon and I went to the store last night to stock up on healthy veggies and lean proteins.  I'm ready to take this diet on!!!

Breakfast
I spent about 3 hours last night cooking todays breakfast, lunch and last nights dinner.  *side note: I NEVER cook so I'm hoping thid diet will help me in that arena as well!  For breakfast I wanted to try to egg muffins that I have read a few GREAT reviews of on various blogs, like Kalyns Kitchen.  They were super easy.  Chop of veggies, mix with egg whites and hot sauce and throw them in a muffin tin to bake for 20 minutes.  Of course we had to try them last night, just make sure they were as delish as everyone was saying :)  The good news is, THEY WERE!  I had four of them this morning (but they were mini so it didn't feel like too much) along with lots 'o water.  I ate them at about 8:45 and I'm still stuffed!  Excited to break into the snaks and lunch I packed though too!  I'll update on those shortly.

They look much prettier when just coming out of the oven, but the taste just as great no matter what!

Egg Muffins Recipe
(Makes 12 muffins, recipe created by Kalyn with inspiration from The South Beach Diet book)

15 eggs (for silicone muffin pans, use 12 eggs for metal muffin tins or individual silicone cups. You can use less egg yolks and more egg white if you prefer.)
1-2 tsp. Spike Seasoning
1-2 cups grated low fat cheese (I like sharp cheddar or a blend of cheddar/Jack cheese, use less cheese if using meat)
Optional, but highly recommended, 3 green onions diced small.
Optional: chopped veggies such as blanched broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, etc. (Using veggies will reduce the fat content)
Optional: diced Canadian bacon, lean ham, or crumbled cooked turkey sausage

Preheat oven to 375 F. Use regular or silicone muffin pan, 12 muffin size. If using silicone pan, spray with nonstick spray. If using regular muffin pan, put two paper liners into each slot, then spray liner with nonstick spray.

In the bottom of the muffin cups layer diced meat, if using, vegetables, if using, cheese and green onions. You want the muffin cups to be about 2/3 full, with just enough room to pour a little egg around the other ingredients. Break eggs into large measuring bowl with pour spout, add Spike, and beat well. (I used to add a bit of half and half or milk, but lately I like the way they turn out without it.) Pour egg into each muffin cup until it is 3/4 full. I like to stir slightly with a fork. Bake 25-35 minutes until muffins have risen and are slightly browned and set.

Muffins will keep at least a week in the refrigerator without freezing. Egg muffins can be frozen and reheated. For best results, thaw in refrigerator before reheating. Microwave on high about 2 minutes to reheat.

Workout
I am also in the middle of my second go round of P90X.  I am in my last phase of the Lean routine.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE this program!  I have always been active, but over the years I really gravitated toward running and group fitness.  The problem with group fitness classes is that you have to be there at a certain time....and I was finding I would start to get stressed if I knew I had a class to make but work was holding me back.  In came P90X.  I do this workout in my livingroom first thing in the morning (most days :).  Then I cut out the drive time to/from the gym and I can take the "group fitness" classes whenever I want.  I just pop in the DVD and am good to go!  This mornings workout was Chest and Back followed by the Ab Ripper.  This is not my favoite routine, but on the lean program you only have to do this twice in  3 months.  I can handle that!  And I feel so strong after I do bunches of push ups and pulls ups! 

Now, back to work!