Veggie Scramble

Being on the clean eating kick, we needed a new take on breakfast.  This was the perfect blend of egg and veggies.

Ingredients

• drizzle of olive oil
• 10 eggs
• 1 orange or red bell pepper
• 1 medium onion
• 1 pack diced mushrooms
• 3 handfuls of spinach
• feta cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Dice veggies except spinach into tiny pieces.
2. Spray pan with cooking spray.
3. Drizzle pan with olive oil and saute veggies.  Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add eggs to pan and mix well.
5. Toss in spinach and cook eggs through stirring occasionally.
6. Remove from heat.  Sprinkle with feta.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Healthy and delicious.  Can't beat the combination.

Sausage Roll

I made this for a meeting the other day.  It was a hit.  Very yummy!!

Ingredients

• Pillsbury Italian bread dough
• sage breakfast sausage
• 8 ounces of cheese shredded
• 1 small can green chilies
• 2 eggs
• butter for brushing on roll

Directions

1. Cook sausage.  Drain.
2. Mix cheese, eggs, and chilies with the sausage.
3. Spray counter top with olive oil.
4. Roll dough as thin as possible.
5. Pour sausage mixture onto the center of the dough.  Roll dough over the mixture.  Use your fingers to crimp the dough closed.  Smooth out with fingers.
6. Spray a bundt pan with olive oil.  Place sausage roll in pan.
7. Cover with wet paper towels and place outside or in a warm oven for 1 hour to rise.
8. Uncover and cook for 35-45 minutes at 375 degrees.
9. Remove from oven and rub surface with butter.

Source

Notes

• I had to get my husband to help me lift the roll into the bundt pan.  The roll is fairly heavy and began to tear.
• Next time, I am going to add more veggies: mushrooms, peppers, onion.
• You can also use low fat sausage.  I only used sage for the flavor.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Lemon Crackle Cookies

Lemon crackle cookies are not only scrumptious.  They are super easy to make.

Ingredients

• 1 box lemon cake mix (generic works fine)
• 8 ounces light cool whip
• 1 egg
• powdered sugar

Directions

1. Mix all first three ingredients until dough is just mixed.
2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.
3. Roll cookie balls into powdersugar to coat.
4. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12 minutes.

Trouble Shooting

• Dough is sticky.  It will start to form balls when you roll it in the powdered sugar.  In other words, don't stress when if the dough is not forming.
• It really does take the full 12 minutes to cook.  I tried 8 and kept increasing the time.  12 minutes was barely done.  Makes a super moist delectable treat.

Clean Eating: Week 6

This week at the nutritionist we talked fiber.  Fiber is nature's plumber.  It helps the body in several ways:

• makes you feel full
• removes excess cholesterol from the digestive tract
• helps you poop
• regulates blood sugars.

There are two types of fiber: soluble and insoluble.  Most processed foods have insoluble fiber.  If a product has soluble fiber, you will see the fiber content divided into two separate sections.  Your goal is to get between 25-35 grams of fiber daily with at least 10% of that fiber falling in the soluble category.

Ways to Increase Fiber Intake:

• Eat 100% whole wheat bread with at least 2 grams of fiber per slice.
• Eat fresh fruit with skin when possible.
• Eat beans 3 or more times a week.  They have more fiber than oatmeal.
• Eat your veggies.  The more you eat the better.

Note... When increasing fiber intake, drink alot of water to help flush the "stuff" out of your body.

Good Sources of Soluble Fiber:

• northern beans
• lima beans
• kidney beans
• brussel sprouts
• artichokes
• pears
• black beans
• pinto beans

Northern beans will give you the most soluble fiber at 5 grams a serving.  Whereas, pinto beans will give you the least amount of soluble fiber at 2 grams.  There are many other sources of soluble fiber.  I merely listed some of the best sources for you to select from.

Whenever possible, you should always choose whole food sources of fiber.

This Not That:

bread...

• Ezekiel bread and 100% whole wheat bread over white bread
• whole wheat bread products over the white bread counterparts

examples: 

• Nature's Own 100% whole wheat bread
• Orowheat 100% whole wheat bread, sandwich thins, muffins and buns
• La Tortilla Factory 100% whole wheat low carb tortillas
• Flat Out bread

cereal...

• Kashi Go Lean, Cheerios, Kashi Cinnamon Harvest, Wheat Chex, Grapenuts over Raisin Bran, Granola or Muesli

crackers...

• Kashi stone ground crackers, all bran crackers, beanitos over saltines or butter crackers

protein bars...

• Kashi bars (3+ grams of fiber and 6 grams < sugar), South Beach bars (3+ grams of fiber and 6 grams < sugar), Think Thin bar, Kellogg's Fiber Plus Antioxidant bar over Fiber One bars, Fiber One brownies or granola bars

grains...

• whole wheat pasta over white pasta
• brown rice over white rice

fruits and veggies with 3> grams of fiber...

• sweet potato
• many beans
• lentils
• peas
• broccoli
• spinach
• carrots
• green beans
• summer squash
• kale
• brussel sprouts
• red cabbage
• turnips
• mustard greens
• banana
• pear
• orange
• apple
• kiwi
• berries

nuts 3> grams of fiber...

• almonds
• pistachios
• flaxseed
• pumpkin

All information was obtained from my nutritionist, the amazing Dr. Laura Mangum.

Goals For This Week:

• continue to decrease my soda intake
• continue to decrease my sweet tea intake and switch to unsweetened tea
• get 3 food groups in at lunch and dinner: record the food groups in my journal
• try not to double up on carbs at any one meal
• continue to walk 5000 steps a day: increase as often as possible
• try to eat at least one raw veggie snack a day: may use guacamole or homemade bean dip to ease into this routine
• eat almonds and fruit at other snack time or a Think Thin bar
• increase fiber intake and include 100% whole wheat and "whole" food sources as much as possible

Weight Loss This Last Two Weeks: 2 1/2 pounds

Clean Eating: Week 5

Over the last two week I have worked on making whole food plate meals.  I am really good at dinner.  It's easy: meat and a veggie.  Simple right? 

Lunch is a whole other ball game.  We are out and about on most days.  This means we are stopping for fast food or sitting down to lunch somewhere.  The nutritionist told me I should just not eat out.  She made it sound like it would be a simple task.  One you could conquer without much thought.

My problem is she has tried to revamp our entire eating in a month.  I am eating smoothies for breakfast on most days.  I am suppose to eat a whole food plate for lunch and dinner.  For snack, I am suppose to eat an apple and 1/2 ounce of almonds.  Plus, I am suppose to go cold turkey on both soda and sweet tea at the same time.  Well, she will allow me 3 sodas a week.

To me, that is alot of change in a short amount of time.  That much change makes me overwhelmed.  I need to conquer little bits to feel successful.  When I get overwhelmed, I tend to make poor choices and loose my motivation.

I meet with the nutritionist on Tuesday.  At my meeting, I am going to discuss the difficulties I am facing.  I am in desperate need of lunch ideas that are quick and tasty, but also realistic.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Supernova by CL Parker

I am a girl all about the title and cover. I know. Seems unfair, but I just can't help it. I wasn't really looking forward to reading this book for book club at all. Thank goodness the ladies that run the book club, Readers After Dark, assigned it anyways. I would have missed out on an amazing story.

Synopsis...

Kerrigan posses a power she must grow.  Dominic will be her mentor.  What she doesn't know is why her grandmother trusted this stranger.  What is the secret Dominic is afraid to share? 

I started reading the book yesterday and finished it this morning. It has just enough magic,supernatural allure. Plus, it has a romantic side as well. All the combinations that make a great book in my option.

Of course, you will fall in love with Kerrigan and Dominic the two main characters. But... If I had to choose a favorite, it would be Kerrigan's best friend, Gabe. He is gay. He is a self proclaimed diva. He is witty. It is his nasty, witty side that will keep you laughing out loud during a story that could have had a very different undertone.

This is a book I would be willing to read again. Thank you CL Parker for my evening entertainment.

If you'd like to check out Supernova, click here.

Semester Abroad: More Than Magic #1

Elizabeth Kirke wrote a YA novel entitled Semester Abroad.  The title of the story wasn't something I would normally choose, but boy I'm I glad I did.  That old adage "You can't judge a book by its cover" sure rings true on this one.

Synopsis...

Jen is taking a summer cruise to study abroad.  She is having the time of her life studying and exploring new countries... that is until she witnesses something that she jut can't explain.  Jen tries to rationalize the event and convince herself that she is not crazy.  Soon Jen is thrown into a world of magic and "magics" she has only ever read about.

Semester Abroad is fast paced and entertaining. This book will keep you up all hours of the night.

There are so many different paranormal "magics" in this book. It is hard to choose your favorite. You're sure to fall in love with the entire cast of characters and not just the enchanting "new magic", Jen.

Can't wait for the second book to be published!!!

If you'd like to check out the awesomeness of Semester Abroad, click here.