a few recipes I like

This is a paper I made up for the ladies at my church. I will send my revised version in a minute. The links should be available for everyone that I used.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE SALAD!!!!

There are different varieties of lettuce, such as iceberg, leaf, spinach, escarole, romaine, or butter. The darker lettuces offer more vitamins than pale iceberg, for example. Spinach has iron, and all varieties are low in calories. One cup of shredded lettuce has about 5 to 10 calories.

http://nutrition.about.com/od/healthymainmeals/a/mmm_salads.htm

Types of Lettuce:

Red-tip leaf lettuce has a tender, sweet, delicate flavor that makes it versatile for many types of green salads.

Radicchio is bitter and peppery-tasting when eaten alone, but small amounts add a nice accent to other greens.

Spinach has a mildly hearty flavor and is often used raw in salads.

Swiss chard has large stems with a delicate flavor similar to celery; leaves have a hearty spinach-like flavor.

Romaine has large, crisp leaves and a slightly sharp flavor that make this the classic lettuce for Caesar salad.

Curly endive has a mildly bitter flavor and adds visual interest to salads.

Arugula has a peppery, pungent flavor that is an ideal contrast when mixed with milder greens. 

http://www.bhg.com/bhg/templates/story/printableStory.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/simplesecrets_knowsaladgreens_07102002.xml&catref=SC427

Strawberry Balsamic Salad with Basil and Feta

Yield: Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced strawberries
2-3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese

Directions:

1. Place sliced strawberries in a medium bowl. Drizzle strawberries with balsamic vinegar. Stir until strawberries are well coated.

2. Sprinkle fresh basil over the strawberries. Add feta cheese and stir.

3. Serve cold.

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This delicious recipe brought to you by Two Peas & Their Pod
http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/strawberry-balsamic-salad-with-basil-and-feta/

Chicken and Berry Salad

3 ounce skinless chicken breast - grilled, chopped, and chilled

• 1 cup each - blueberries, raspberries, chopped strawberries
• 1/3 cup each - raw chopped green beans, carrots and red peppers
• 1 cup chopped lettuce
• 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds
• 2 Tbsp fat-free Italian salad dressing
  

Just toss all ingredients together. Chill and serve.

(55g carbohydrate, 380 calories, 12% calories from fat)

 

http://diabetes.about.com/od/dieticianapprovedrecipes/a/summersalads.htm

GRAINS IN YOUR SALAD, OR AS YOUR SALAD

Great Grain Side Dishes Article By: Leslie Fink, MS, RD Barley, bulgur, wheat berries, couscous and more. Walk the grain aisle at a natural foods store or well stocked grocer and you’ll be amazed at the variety. Yet white rice and regular pasta seem to take center stage in the majority of American grain-based recipes. Both have 5 PointsPlus™ values per cup and are typically less nutritious than many of their high-fiber, high-protein counterparts. Some grains even have fewer PointsPlus values: Grain PointsPlus values per cooked cup Bulgur 4 Barley 5 Wild Rice 4 Regular Couscous 4 Whole Wheat Couscous 5 Whole Wheat Pasta 4 Time to try something new Here’s a collection of grain side dishes that can be enjoyed as they are, beefed up with protein for lunch or dinner, or stuffed and baked into large bell peppers for an exciting vegetarian entrée.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/templates/print.aspx?PageId=1205071&PrintFlag=yes&previewDate=7/12/2011

Quinoa and Spinach

Weight Watchers Recipe

 

Course: side dishes PointsPlus™ Value:    3 Servings:  8 Preparation Time:  12 min Cooking Time:  25 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Quinoa’s delicate flavor pairs well with spinach. Since it’s not an actual grain, it makes an excellent Passover side dish.

Ingredients

	1 Tbsp olive oil
	1 large onion(s), minced
	1 clove(s) garlic clove(s), minced (medium)
	1 cup(s) uncooked quinoa, rinsed (or purchase pre-rinsed quinoa)*
	2 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth
	1/8 tsp black pepper
	1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
	4 cup(s) spinach, baby leaves, packed, coarsely chopped
	1/2 tsp table salt

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until onion is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  
• Add quinoa to skillet; cook, stirring frequently, until quinoa starts to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes.
  
• Add broth, black pepper and red pepper flakes to skillet; bring to a boil. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low and simmer for 13 minutes; stir in spinach. Cover skillet and cook until spinach and quinoa are tender and liquid is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes; season with salt. Yields about 1/2 cup per serving.
  

• *To rinse quinoa, place quinoa in a fine wire-mesh sieve. Place in sink and set under cold running water until water runs clear; shake off excess liquid.
  
  Quinoa is available in the grain or natural food section of the supermarket.
  
  
  
  
  

Warm Barley Salad

Weight Watchers Recipe

 

Course: side dishes PointsPlus™ Value:    6 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  10 min Cooking Time:  12 min Level of Difficulty:  Easy

This simple side dish makes a wonderful accompaniment to any spring meal. The combination of salty capers and feta, and slightly sweet vinaigrette is fantastic.

Ingredients

	1 cup(s) uncooked barley, quick-cooking variety
	1/4 tsp table salt
	1/2 cup(s) feta cheese, crumbles
	1 Tbsp capers
	1 tsp dill, minced
	1/4 cup(s) scallion(s), minced (green parts only)
	4 tsp low-fat vinaigrette
	1/4 tsp black pepper
	1 tsp lemon zest, freshly grated

Instructions

• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium-size pot; stir in barley and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until barley is tender, about 10 minutes. (There may still be some water in the pot. If so, cover the barley and set it aside for 10 minutes for the liquid to be absorbed. Or you can drain the barley).
  
• Spoon cooked barley into a serving bowl; add cheese, capers, dill, scallions, vinaigrette, pepper and lemon zest. Stir gently but well; serve warm. Yields about 3/4 cup per serving.
  

Notes

• Oregano and chives are also delicious in this salad. Replace the dill weed and scallions with a quarter teaspoon of dried crushed oregano and two tablespoons of minced chives.
  
  For extra flavor and color, consider stirring two cups of torn baby spinach leaves into the salad just before serving and increase the dressing to taste (could affect PointsPlus values).
  

From Amanda Sodam:

Fruit Crisp

(Modified recipe from The Joy of Cooking)
Filling:
2 bag of frozen berries
1 bag of frozen peaches
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon flour
Butter your pan. Then mix the filling ingredients inside the pan. Fruit does not need to be thawed.

Topping:
1 stick of butter
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ to 1 tsp cinnamon
About 2/3 cup oats
About 1/3 cup chopped pecans (you can definitely add more if you want)

Mix all the dry ingredients together really well. The recipe says to cut in solid butter, but I just melt it, pour it over and mix it in. Cutting in butter is often too much work. Crumble over filling.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and hot. Serve warm with ice cream or honey Greek yogurt.

Microwave Popcorn

"Believe it or not, you can make your own delicious, low-fat microwave popcorn using standard popping corn and a brown paper lunch bag. It works perfectly."

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn 1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Directions:

1.	In a cup or small bowl, mix together the unpopped popcorn and oil. Pour the coated corn into a brown paper lunch sack, and sprinkle in the salt. Fold the top of the bag over twice to seal in the ingredients.
2.	Cook in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between pops. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam, and pour into a serving bowl.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2011 Allrecipes.com

Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/13/2011

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/microwave-popcorn/detail.aspx

posting

Not doing so good at this daily recording thing. I  have had a rotten week with recording in all aspects of life. Gonna work on that.

Friday night I had some awesome ham and bean soup that my sister in law made. She is a great cook.

Then we went to a benefit concert for  www.crisisaid.org. A group that is fighting back against sex trafficking. One of the musicians was a Christian rap artist and here is a picture of my brother and pastor dancing to it.

So, on saturday, here is what I ate at Casa Gallardo:

I got the shrimp fajitas without the garlic butter sauce. I ate 5 pieces of shrimp and 1/4 cup beans. Dipped in some sour cream. It was tasty.
 I ate 4 more pieces of shrimp for a snack later in the night.

Here is what I ate at Applebees on Saturday for lunch:

I got the lunch salad and soup. Shrimp and spinach salad with tomato basil soup. I also ate a few tortilla chips. Maybe 5?

Ok, I'll catch up more later.

easter friday and saturday

Well...I didn't do so hot recording my food this weekend. I tend to get sidetracked on the wknds. Gotta work on that. I know I can use my cell phone for pictures, but usually remember after I have eaten.

Anyway, on friday night we had a tornado come through town. An F4. It hit just west and north of my town. The airport is just now getting back to normal flights, and the town of Maryland Heights got hit severly.  Thank God it missed my house/neighborhood. I did spend an hour or so in the basement.

All that to say, I've learned some eating triggers. I eat mindlessly when I am nervous/scared. Which I was nervous on friday night. I decided to eat more of the hot and spicy cheezits than I needed. (which was none, but they were there) 

Saturday morning I left the house early to go to the store and then to church to meetup with folks to help clean up tornado hit areas. I don't remember what I ate, probably beef jerky or a protein bar.  I ate some more protein while we were cooking lunch for the workers. And I drank alot during that time.

Around 1 I left the tornado neighborhood and headed to my brothers house to prepare Greek food for Easter dinner. Don't remember what I ate, but know I was sure that i had gotten in my protein and liquids for saturday.

I went to my dad's house around 6 to make our family Easter tradition, Easter Pie. It's more like a cheesy/meaty quiche than a pie, and it is def not a dessert. I tasted it after it was made and didn't think I wanted much.

Ok, that's saturday.

I'll get sunday later. Headed to the store to get stuff to make a protein full pudding pie.

94 days out

I am 94 days out and 72.6 lbs less. Wow. That is so exciting. My weight loss is 45lbs since day of surgery, 52lbs since pre-op diet, and 72.6lbs since September 2011. I am very proud of these stats. I know that I had surgery and that this tool is helping me, but I will never let anyone tell me that I haven't worked hard for it. I work out, I journal my food, I think about what goes in my mouth, I make daily decisions to avoid bad food and bad environments. This is my journey and I am loving the work.

Yesterday I went to see my NUT for a clarification on calories. I have been told to up my calories from a friend. My NUT mentioned that 1200 calories is good for a 3 month pouch. She mentioned this in my group follow-up appointment. I thought OK, far from 1200 cal, but I will try. Then I got overwhelmed with the fact that I am absolutely not able to take in 1200 calories yet. So, since my NUT has open office hours, I decided to go see her yesterday. The summary of that meeting: Eat like you are now, Good job! Don't worry so much about numbers. Focus on my protein, like I have been, and then add in vegies/whole grains. I should take 3 bites of protein and 1 bite of vegie/grain. Working towards my goal of 1/2 plate protein, 1/4 plate vegie and 1/4 plate whole grain.  So that is do-able. I left feeling much better about how I have been trying to make my calorie count.

She did mention that she thought it would be helpful to journal more than just my food. I utilize a free website from the company that made the staples for my surgery. Realizemysuccess.com  It is a great tool and it keeps track of my weight, food, exercise, goals, and measurements. I really like it. But it doesn't really have a place for journaling emotions and struggles.

SO!!! I am going to attempt to do that here.  I was really good at this blog for a while, but let it fall aside. Now I am back and with a vengeance. I am making this weight loss thing work. I will be a success story. Why? because I will do what is proven to work. I will listen to advice of other successful people. I will work HARD. Daily!!!! It's not an option. I put my life on the line for this surgery and I will be successful.

NSV!!!! big one! (nsv- non scale victory)
Last night I went to the park with Amelia (~3) and we played. We have been to this park before and I have wanted to join her more, but was limited. So last night after a 1 1/2 mile walk, we were at the park. I thought, "Should I try the swing? what if I'm still too big? i don't want to discourage myself." So I tried the swing. WHAT AN AWESOME FEELING!! I forgot how much I like swinging. I haven't been able to because my backside/hips were too big and it would pinch me. And it looked awful. I sat down and didn't have that feeling at all. Amazing!!!

So Abbe cooked some chicken and carrots for dinner last night and it tasted way better than when I cook it. Seriously. I think food tastes better when I don't have to cook it. I am a good cook, but ....her's was better. When I got home I was snacky feeling. So I ate some Hot n spicy cheezits and some peanuts. Salt fest!!! Gotta keep those things out of my diet. That upped my calories and carbs for the day, but still got in 92 grams of protein yesterday. I was emotionally hungry and that's why I ate the carbs so late at night. Need to figure that part out.

I have found that I am bored when I get home. I can watch tv, but it doesn't keep my attention. Gotta figure that out too, cause I need time each day to stop and do nothing. I can't run myself ragged like I have in the past. Maybe I can read more. I am reading a memior from a mennonite lady and loving it. I also will start reading "Anne of Green Gables" soon for a book club. Love it!!!