My goal for this blog is to try to post something at least once a week, more if I have time. I am hoping by doing this it will help to keep me on this healthy cooking kick. Since my last post a week ago I am a mother again. This is not my own child but a step son who is 12. He came to live with me all the way from Africa so it will be quite an adjustment for all of us. The funny thing is while I am trying to slim down the rest of my family this kid is skinny as a toothpick so I need to figure out a way to put a little meat on his bones. Guess I will have to find a way to sneak some extra calories into his food. I am sure I can figure something out. While not jeopardizing this new path the rest of us have chosen to take. Trent has lost 2 more lbs so am very proud of him. I think if I could get him to excercise more we would get to our goal sooner. He did tell me he is interested in weight training and wants to take it for his PE Class next year. That is too far away so I guess I will have to get him to the gym so he can try it there. I hope I can find something he can enjoy so that he will stick with it. I also want to start excersing again but its finding the time in my hectic schedule. I am just going to have to try to fit it in. Since I am so close to my weight loss goal. I have a new goal I would like to achieve and that is running a 5k. I dont like to run, but I want to prove to myself that I can do it. So if anyone out there is interested in getting me started let me know would love to have someone who can motivate me.
Since I posted last I have tried out tons of new recipes and all of them but one were a huge hit. I guess that's pretty good considering they are low cal. There are so many more I want to try so at least I will have something to write about. The one I chose to pick for today is once again from the hungry girl cookbook and is called Mom Style Creamy Chicken -n- Veggies. This recipe is cooked in a foil pack in the oven so its easy to make and easy clean up. I actually cant wait to try this one over the campfire this summer will be great.
5 oz chicken breast
1/4 Cup 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 Teaspoon of Chopped Garlic
1/2 Cup of Mixed Veggies
1/4 Cup Fat Free Sour Cream
1 Cup Frozen Cauliflower
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
Salt and Pepper to Taste.
In a bowl mix the soup, sour cream, garlic and salt together, then add the cauliflower. mixed veggies and mushrooms in the bowl. Set Aside, Lay a large piece of Foil on a baking sheet and spray it with cooking spray. Season both sides of your chicken they lay on foil. Place veggie mix on top of chicken. Then fold your foil to create a packet bake this at 375 for 35 to 40 minutes.
This recipe is for 1 serving. 307 Calories, 4 g fat and 26 g carbs.
I made this for the whole family My son is picky and will not eat mixed veggies, he also does not like sourcream. To make his more to his taste. I took a Green Giant broccoli and cheese just for one these are about 45 calories a serving and added it in place of the sour cream I then added a about 1/2 cup of frozen broccoli and mixed it all together for him..He loved it. I also made garlic bread to go with this. The bread I now absolutely love is an oatmeal bread that is only 45 calories a slice, for the butter I used a product called butter its not. Its King Soopers Brand of I cant believe its not butter. Then I sprinkled garlic powder on Top. and baked it about 5 minutes. So the whole meal was under 400 Calories..
My Daugther and I shared one because there was so much food there. This is another recipe that I will definetely keep.
Because I have not shared a dessert recipe with you yet I am going to add one into this blog as well.
The recipe is also from Hungry Girl and is Called Yum Yum Brownie Muffins, These are the size of a muffin and full of choclately goodness.
1 Box Devils Food Cake Mix
1 15oz Can Pure Pumpkin( Make sure not to use pie mix it wont work the same)
Yes only 2 ingredients thats the best part
Heat oven to 350 mix cake mix and pumpkin together til well incorporated. The mix will be very thick dont add anything else this is how its supposed to be. Line a muffin pan with 12 muffin cups and spray them with cooking spray. Divide the mixture between the 12 cups and bake 20 minutes.
This makes 12- servings a serving size is 1 muffin- 181 calories, 3.5 g fat. 37 g carbs
This makes a great dessert or even breakfast if you are craving that muffin for breakfast. My son and daughter have been having this as a snack not only can they still eat chocolate but they can eat it and I dont have to worry about the gazillion calories a typical muffin carries. Hope you enjoy.
After
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Outside in bacon Cheeseburgers
I am going to start this post of on a positve Note, It was just about two weeks ago that I stumbled across the "Hungry Girl CookBook at the library, from the minute I started looking at it I knew I finally found a way to make the meals I cook for my family Healthier and lower in calories. I have not cooked recipes from this book everyday but I do try to make everything I cook as healthy as possible. Anyways I stepped on the scale and I have lost 4 lbs. My goal was not for me to lose weight, but for my family to get healthier. So I was pretty excited about this weight loss. This means am only 6 lbs away from my goal weight who would of thought that 115 lbs ago it seemed so far away. The best part about this though is that my Son has lost 5lbs without feeling deprived. The Hungry girl cookbook even has dessert recipes so when you get that craving you can still have it..It's a wonderful cookbook and I am so Happy I discovered it. So my recipe today came from the cookbook but I added my own twist by adding bacon and low calorie Hamburger Buns hope you enjoy it as much as we did
Outside in Bacon Cheesburgers
1 lb Lean ground Beef 1 Package of 80 Calorie Hamburger Buns
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 Wedges of Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Cheese
4 Slices Oscar Mayer Pre-Cooke Bacon (70 Calories for all 4 slices)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chop the bacon up into tiny pieces, Put in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients minus the cheese. Mix well using your hands, Once combined divide mix into four equal portions, Make each portion into a ball then put an indendition into the ball using your thumb. Put 1 cheese wedge into the indention then squeeze meat seal. the form into hamburger patties. Put patties in a pan sprayed with cooking spray cooking about 4 minutes per side. Dont press down on patty as cheese will come out .Put Hamburger Patty on 80 calorie but top with lettuce, tom and onion if desired. Total Calories is for one Hamburger is 277. When I made this I also made homemade French Fries I cut 3 Potatoes into fries put them on a cookie sheet sprayed them with cooking spray sprinkled with salt and baked them about 20 minute I allowed Each Person about 1/2 of a potatoes and this was plenty By Adding this you add 55 Calories to your meal. Also if you like ketchup 1 tbsp adds 20 extra calories so take that into consideration as well. Even with the fries your meal is still less than 350 Calories, Plus it fills you up.
Laughing Cow also make light blue cheese wedges so if you like black and blue burgers you can substitue the blue cheese for the swiss not matter which way you do it..They are still Yummy and Super Filing. If you want the original Recipe without my Changes check out the Hungry Girl Website. Hope you Enjoy these as much as we did. If you have any questions or like what you see feel free to leave me a comment. One more interesting fact A normal 1/4 lb bacon cheesebuger has 555 calories and a small Fry has 290 Calories. You are saving over 500 Calories. Wow
Outside in Bacon Cheesburgers
1 lb Lean ground Beef 1 Package of 80 Calorie Hamburger Buns
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 Wedges of Laughing Cow Lite Swiss Cheese
4 Slices Oscar Mayer Pre-Cooke Bacon (70 Calories for all 4 slices)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chop the bacon up into tiny pieces, Put in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients minus the cheese. Mix well using your hands, Once combined divide mix into four equal portions, Make each portion into a ball then put an indendition into the ball using your thumb. Put 1 cheese wedge into the indention then squeeze meat seal. the form into hamburger patties. Put patties in a pan sprayed with cooking spray cooking about 4 minutes per side. Dont press down on patty as cheese will come out .Put Hamburger Patty on 80 calorie but top with lettuce, tom and onion if desired. Total Calories is for one Hamburger is 277. When I made this I also made homemade French Fries I cut 3 Potatoes into fries put them on a cookie sheet sprayed them with cooking spray sprinkled with salt and baked them about 20 minute I allowed Each Person about 1/2 of a potatoes and this was plenty By Adding this you add 55 Calories to your meal. Also if you like ketchup 1 tbsp adds 20 extra calories so take that into consideration as well. Even with the fries your meal is still less than 350 Calories, Plus it fills you up.
Laughing Cow also make light blue cheese wedges so if you like black and blue burgers you can substitue the blue cheese for the swiss not matter which way you do it..They are still Yummy and Super Filing. If you want the original Recipe without my Changes check out the Hungry Girl Website. Hope you Enjoy these as much as we did. If you have any questions or like what you see feel free to leave me a comment. One more interesting fact A normal 1/4 lb bacon cheesebuger has 555 calories and a small Fry has 290 Calories. You are saving over 500 Calories. Wow
Friday, January 21, 2011
Yummy Breakfast Sandwiches
You here it all the time whether it be on TV, the radio, or just people passing by "How could someone let themselves get that Fat". For the majority of us we try everything in our power to prevent it from happening, but it just dont seem to matter it seems like for everystep we take forward we are takin 2 steps back. In my case when i was 4 years old I had something happen to me that no 4 year old should have to go through. Because of this tradegy I started turning to food for comfort. This is a pattern that would follow me to my adult life. When things were good I could lose a little bit of weight and start to feel better about myself, then once things turned bad or werent going as well as I expected I would turn to food to make me feel better. By doing this I would gain back whatever I lost plus some. After many years of this it got harder to lose the weight and easier to gain.
I think if I would of had the right tools or the right support system I may have been able to succeed, that is why I am hoping that by supplying my family and all of my followers with the right tools they will be able to succeed. Today I am going to give you a recipe for the breakfast sandwiches I have been making for my family. I like to make a whole weeks worth at once, wrap them in saran wrap then put them in the freezer. That way they can pop one in the microwave and eat them on their way of the door. These sandwiches have protein and arent full of sugar so they keep them full longer than cereal and also help them to feel better throughout the morning.
Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches
1-Thomas Bagel Thins -110 Calories Per Bagel
2 turkey sausage links cooked then cut in half (90 calories)
1/4 cup egg subsitute (30 calories)
1/8 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese (23 calories)
Cook the sausage links then cut them in half lengthwise. Set Aside. Spray a pan with cooking spray and add egg substitue cook eggs until almost set then add the cheese, while the eggs are cooking, toast the bagel in your toaster. Once eggs are done put sausage links, then eggs on bagel. Put top on bagel and Enjoy
Serving is one whole Sandwich. Calories for one sandwich is 253 Calories.
I know egg substitute can be expensive so you can use 1 real egg but the your calories will go up to 293 calories for one sandwich.
I also make these with bacon as well. I buy the oscar mayer fully cooked bacon. You can have 4 slices for 70 calories. So if you make the sandwiches using the bacon then your total calories would be 233. Thats pretty good for a breakfast sandwich if you ask me.
A Sausage McMuffin at McDonalds has 370 calories and a breakfast bagel at Mcdonalds has 600 calories, so by making a batch of these up and putting them in your freezer its not only good on your waist but it's also good on your wallet as well cuz you won be as tempted to hit the drive thru for a quick meal. Enjoy
I think if I would of had the right tools or the right support system I may have been able to succeed, that is why I am hoping that by supplying my family and all of my followers with the right tools they will be able to succeed. Today I am going to give you a recipe for the breakfast sandwiches I have been making for my family. I like to make a whole weeks worth at once, wrap them in saran wrap then put them in the freezer. That way they can pop one in the microwave and eat them on their way of the door. These sandwiches have protein and arent full of sugar so they keep them full longer than cereal and also help them to feel better throughout the morning.
Bagel Breakfast Sandwiches
1-Thomas Bagel Thins -110 Calories Per Bagel
2 turkey sausage links cooked then cut in half (90 calories)
1/4 cup egg subsitute (30 calories)
1/8 cup fat free shredded cheddar cheese (23 calories)
Cook the sausage links then cut them in half lengthwise. Set Aside. Spray a pan with cooking spray and add egg substitue cook eggs until almost set then add the cheese, while the eggs are cooking, toast the bagel in your toaster. Once eggs are done put sausage links, then eggs on bagel. Put top on bagel and Enjoy
Serving is one whole Sandwich. Calories for one sandwich is 253 Calories.
I know egg substitute can be expensive so you can use 1 real egg but the your calories will go up to 293 calories for one sandwich.
I also make these with bacon as well. I buy the oscar mayer fully cooked bacon. You can have 4 slices for 70 calories. So if you make the sandwiches using the bacon then your total calories would be 233. Thats pretty good for a breakfast sandwich if you ask me.
A Sausage McMuffin at McDonalds has 370 calories and a breakfast bagel at Mcdonalds has 600 calories, so by making a batch of these up and putting them in your freezer its not only good on your waist but it's also good on your wallet as well cuz you won be as tempted to hit the drive thru for a quick meal. Enjoy
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Shrimp Tacos
Like I said in my previous blog I am on the path to get the rest of my family healthier. I remember when I was younger and would go on a diet it would consist of all the salad I could eat and a chicken breast or canned Tuna fish. This is the way my mother used to diet so it was the only way I knew how. Know wonder I could never lose weight it only took me a week to get sick of the food. I think to be succesful you have to allow some kind of variety or else you will just go back to the same old way of eating as before.
As I got older I experimented with a lot of different diets I would succeed for a while only to gain back what I lost plus some.I think my biggest problem with dieting was I never felt satisfied with what I was allowing myself to eat. That is why I am hoping that by cooking from this cookbook I can teach my family that we dont have to diet to be healthy and that we dont have to skimp on what we are eating either, we just need to learn to cook the right way.
The first recipe I cooked from the Hungry Girl 1-2-3 cookbook was for Shrimp tacos and the total calories for 2 tacos is 243 calories. I tweaked the original recipe a little and am going to give you my recipe. Hope you Enjoy it as much as we did this is just for a single serving size but you can defintly double even triple the recipe very easily.
Shrimp Cocktail Tacos
3 oz shrimp chopped (this is about 10 med shrimp)
1/8 cup black beans
1/8 cup corn
2 tablespoons taco sauce (My fav is salsa verde)
2 corn taco shells
1/4- cup lettuce
1/2 garlic clove crushed (optional)
Dice up the shrimp then saute in a pan sprayed with cooking spray add garlic (optional). It only takes about 2 minutes to cook all the way. After about 1 minute of cooking the shrimp add in the black bean and corn. Cook until heated through about 2 minutes add the taco sauce cook til warm. Then divide the shrimp mixture between 2 taco shells, add about 1/8 cup of lettuce on each taco. Enjoy, You could also garnish these with low cal sour cream and cheese but you would have to take the calories into consideration. My recipes serves 1 and has 272 calories If you are super hungry you could actually eat three of these and still only be at 408 calories for the whole meal. After eating two of these my son was full and happy.
The original recipe from the hungry girl cookbook serves one has 243 calories, 5 grams of Fat and 26.5 grams of Carbs. If you want the original I think you may be able to get it from the hungry girl website.
My family loved these so I hope your family does to. Also if you dont like shrimp you could make these with 3 oz of chicken breast and they would be just as wonderful. Here's to the beginning of Happy Healthy Eating
As I got older I experimented with a lot of different diets I would succeed for a while only to gain back what I lost plus some.I think my biggest problem with dieting was I never felt satisfied with what I was allowing myself to eat. That is why I am hoping that by cooking from this cookbook I can teach my family that we dont have to diet to be healthy and that we dont have to skimp on what we are eating either, we just need to learn to cook the right way.
The first recipe I cooked from the Hungry Girl 1-2-3 cookbook was for Shrimp tacos and the total calories for 2 tacos is 243 calories. I tweaked the original recipe a little and am going to give you my recipe. Hope you Enjoy it as much as we did this is just for a single serving size but you can defintly double even triple the recipe very easily.
Shrimp Cocktail Tacos
3 oz shrimp chopped (this is about 10 med shrimp)
1/8 cup black beans
1/8 cup corn
2 tablespoons taco sauce (My fav is salsa verde)
2 corn taco shells
1/4- cup lettuce
1/2 garlic clove crushed (optional)
Dice up the shrimp then saute in a pan sprayed with cooking spray add garlic (optional). It only takes about 2 minutes to cook all the way. After about 1 minute of cooking the shrimp add in the black bean and corn. Cook until heated through about 2 minutes add the taco sauce cook til warm. Then divide the shrimp mixture between 2 taco shells, add about 1/8 cup of lettuce on each taco. Enjoy, You could also garnish these with low cal sour cream and cheese but you would have to take the calories into consideration. My recipes serves 1 and has 272 calories If you are super hungry you could actually eat three of these and still only be at 408 calories for the whole meal. After eating two of these my son was full and happy.
The original recipe from the hungry girl cookbook serves one has 243 calories, 5 grams of Fat and 26.5 grams of Carbs. If you want the original I think you may be able to get it from the hungry girl website.
My family loved these so I hope your family does to. Also if you dont like shrimp you could make these with 3 oz of chicken breast and they would be just as wonderful. Here's to the beginning of Happy Healthy Eating
Monday, January 17, 2011
Weight Loss Surgery
I decided to have weight loss surgery at the end of 2007. I knew at that time that I could no longer live in the current body I had, so I met with my Doctor in January of 2008 and discussed my options with her. After deciding I was a candidate for Weight Loss Surgery she referred me to Dr. Holloway. I wasnt able to get an appointment with him till March of 2008. After that appointment, I started the process to get ready for the Surgery. With the insurance I had I had to complete a psych eval, 6 month nutrition program and support groups. When I was done with all of the requirements I was able to set a surgery date for November 18, 2008. This is the date that would change my life forever. I went into Surgery weighing 293 lbs. I could not believe I let myself get this heavy. I had been overweight for as long as I can remember but was never this heavy. The total surgery took less than 45 minutes and I came through it with no problems. After the surgery when they brought me my food, in little 1 ounce containers I could not even finish it all. I would of never thought that so little would fill me up. I was able to go home the next day and was instructed to eat liquids for two weeks. The first week was fairly easy for me, but as I went into the second week I was ready for solid foods again. In those two weeks I lost a total of 15 lbs, I would of never though I could of lost that much so quickly. I eased myself back into eating solid food again but a lot less of it. I lost 85 lbs the first year and 25lbs the second year. I still would like to lose 10 more pounds but I am happy with where I am at.
Which brings me to the reason for starting this blog. Even though I have been succesful in my weight loss, my family members have been putting on weight. I am sure part of this comes from my asking them to finish my food and the other part is I never learned to cook the right way. So even though I was eating less I was still feeding my family high calories recipes. In order to help them be healthier and for me to lose my last 10 lbs I checked out some healthy cookbooks from the library. When I came across the Hungry Girl Cookbook. I knew I had finally found something that would work for me. The first recipe I made from the cookbook my son asked my are you sure this is diet food there is so much here and it was good. So I knew I found a winner. I am going to blog about the recipes I use in this cookbook and any changes I make to them to fit my families needs. I am also going to blog about the journey we take together on learning to eat healthier. I am hoping that by blogging about our experiences it will help to keep us on track. I am also hoping that other relatives of mine will read my blog and try out the recipes and maybe this will inspire them to get on track as well. Will Post More Soon
Which brings me to the reason for starting this blog. Even though I have been succesful in my weight loss, my family members have been putting on weight. I am sure part of this comes from my asking them to finish my food and the other part is I never learned to cook the right way. So even though I was eating less I was still feeding my family high calories recipes. In order to help them be healthier and for me to lose my last 10 lbs I checked out some healthy cookbooks from the library. When I came across the Hungry Girl Cookbook. I knew I had finally found something that would work for me. The first recipe I made from the cookbook my son asked my are you sure this is diet food there is so much here and it was good. So I knew I found a winner. I am going to blog about the recipes I use in this cookbook and any changes I make to them to fit my families needs. I am also going to blog about the journey we take together on learning to eat healthier. I am hoping that by blogging about our experiences it will help to keep us on track. I am also hoping that other relatives of mine will read my blog and try out the recipes and maybe this will inspire them to get on track as well. Will Post More Soon
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