Summer Cookin'

Summer cookin', had me a blast. Summer cookin' happened so fast... wait, what?

So, summer has ARRIVED and is in full force here in Arkansas. It's hot, sweltery (is that a word?), and makes you just want to stay inside. Unfortunately, being active outside this time of year is way more uncomfortable than during the spring and fall months. Bike riding is miserable and expect to have a soaked shirt if you want to go hiking, even at dusk. The only thing I want to do is sit in my son's blow-up pool with a cold drink in my hand.

I confess that when I lost my workout mo-jo due to my tendonitis, I REALLY lost it and haven't been active since. It was really difficult for me to commit to getting up that early and working my body and if I'm going to do that again, I have to psych myself up and need lots of encouragement. The toddler still isn't sleeping as well as he used to and has started getting up a little earlier in the mornings (mornings are already a rush for all three of us to get out the door) so I'm rethinking the working out first thing in the morning. It's also hard for me to go to the gym in the middle of work because our locker room isn't right next to our gym and I have to go in and change, go work out, go back to the locker room to change out of my sweaty clothes and then it ends up being an hour or more and I only get 30 minutes for lunch. So...excuses, excuses, I know. I'm going to try to start doing Zumba at home on the Wii because at this point, I think it's my best choice. Now, the best time to do that is still up in the air.

The good news in all of this is that I haven't gained back those 5+ pounds I lost. How I haven't is beyond me but I think it may have to do something with how active my little boy is and the stamina it takes to keep up with him. So, even though he wears me out, I guess it's good for me!

All that being said, I am currently trying to make a grocery list and since it's so DANG hot, I'm trying to figure out what I can fix just using my stove top or crock pot or broil (less time in the oven) so my whole house doesn't go up to 85 degrees during suppertime. Some things I've started making that have been good are roasted chicken in the crock pot (which stretches to two or three meals), balsamic broiled veggies with pasta, steak quesadillas with pre-made steak strips, salads with imitation crab and lots of cut up veggies, corned beef sammies (using canned corned beef and provolone on pumpernickel or rye). Most of these are low-fat and if you pair them with healthy options, then you have a well-rounded dinner.

What are your go-to summer meals? Are you doing anything active right now? What would help you get motivated to do better?

Kraft Recipes

I've been a member of Kraft Foods' website for awhile now and recently realized that they have healthy recipes. Not only do they have healthy recipes, but they have a section of budget-friendly recipes that are also healthy! Can't beat that. You can search to find the recipes you like and add them to your "recipe box." It will also add the ingredients to a shopping list for you. I think I'm going to start utilizing this tool more often, now that I'm back at work and having to deal with a 3-month-old who goes to physical therapy twice a week. This will help me to save time while also providing much-needed healthy, inexpensive ingredients.

Here are just a few recipes I found that sound tasty:

Better-Than-Ever Beef Enchiladas - Enchiladas? Sign me up. 340 calories / 11 grams of fat per serving.

Chicken, Cheese, and Spinach Manicotti - I go nuts for any kind of pasta. 370 calories / 9 grams of fat per serving.

Layered Summer Salad - I love making things like this in the summer. Anything to not have to use my oven in this Arkansas heat. 180 calories / 14 grams of fat per serving.

Quick Chicken-Parmesan Pasta - Again, I love pasta. And this is nice because it uses pre-cooked grilled chicken. 330 calories / 12 grams of fat per serving.

Working on this

One habit at a time. This is my goal. I want to work on one habit at a time. But it's hard. I'm so excited. Recently, hubby and I moved into a new apartment which includes a gym membership. The best part about the gym? It's in building, right down the hall. How many times have I been there? Twice. Once to walk on an elliptical for about 30 seconds when hubby and I checked it out after moving in and once when we got a tour of the building before we signed a lease. Problem? I think so.

So, I guess adding work out time isn't as much of a habit as it as a completely new behavior. The habit I want to work on is buying frozen, pre-made breakfast items. I checked the health content of a Jimmy Dean breakfast bowl and about fell over. It's crazy how must sodium AND calories are in one of those things. They aren't filling and at over 500 calories, I expect to be full for awhile. So, I'm working on making things that will keep and are easy for mornings when I don't want to make breakfast or get sick of cold cereal.

While brainstorming of ideas, I remembered my Mom eating these little egg "quiches" while on the South Beach diet. She was kind enough to share the recipe with me. I remember them being pretty good! :-)

Vegetable Quiche Cups to Go!

1 package (10 oz) frozen spinach

3/4 cup liquid egg substitute

3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheese

1/4 cup diced green bell peppers

1/4 cup diced onions

3 drops hot-pepper sauce (optional)

Microwave spinach for 2 1/2 minutes on high. Drain the excess liquid.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups. Spray the cups with cooking spray.

Combine the egg substitute, cheese, peppers, onions, and spinach in a bowl. Mix well. Divide evenly among the muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Quiche cups can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. Any combination of appropriate vegetables and reduced-fat cheeses may be used.

6 (2 mini-quiche) servings. 73 calories, Total Fat: 2.5 grams, Cholesterol: 4 mg, Sodium: 195 mg
(For detailed nutrition information, check here)

(This post was finished, I just forgot to schedule it... Sorry!)

Another week goes by....

So far, so good.

I've been desperately searching for new foods to eat (see Wednesdays blog) so have googled some websites with some salads and another with some high-protein recipes. High protein for the baby, but also for me as I've been a little sluggish lately. I haven't tried any of them yet, but plan to this week. I'll keep a photo diary and show you how they go if I can pull it together.

Anyhow, I'm not going to sit here and say I'm having a perfect week, cause I'm really not. The boy's refusal to eat has created a Mommy that seems to eat everything that's left over, out of guilt. Throw it away? I can't even imagine it. So... fish sticks? Sweet potato fries? Grilled cheese? If he's not eating it, I am. I have a feeling this is going to catch up pretty quick.

That being said, I'm still extremely happy about the weight I've lost, and want to continue to see the scale getting lower. I'm super happy that I'm still on this journey with my twitter ladies and, once again must say, I couldn't have done it without you.

Cheers!

Tamara

Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality.