Calls for Downton and a skinny cinnamon dolce latte. Ignore the unpainted toenails. :)
PS I am officially down another pound.
PPS Please marry me Mr. Bates.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
White Bean Chicken Chili Recipe
This recipe is so delicious and it is South Beach Diet Phase 1 approved! Next time I'll probably make it in the crockpot but I couldn't wait to try it tonight.
Yield: 5 servings (It was supposed to be 6 but I couldn't find another piece of tupperware sooo...)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 oz can of diced green chiles
4 oz can diced jalapenos
2 cans fat free chicken broth
3 cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
16 oz chicken breast, ground or shredded and cooked
Toppings (not included in nutrition):
2% Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Low fat sour cream
Preparation:
1. Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add onions and stir until softened (4-5 minutes). If you haven't precooked your chicken, you can cook it now in a skillet.
2. Add the chiles and jalapenos, stir, and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, beans, and chicken broth, turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Top with cheese and sour cream. Yum!
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| Can you blame me? |
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 oz can of diced green chiles
4 oz can diced jalapenos
2 cans fat free chicken broth
3 cans cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
16 oz chicken breast, ground or shredded and cooked
Toppings (not included in nutrition):
2% Mexican cheese blend, shredded
Low fat sour cream
Preparation:
1. Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add onions and stir until softened (4-5 minutes). If you haven't precooked your chicken, you can cook it now in a skillet.
2. Add the chiles and jalapenos, stir, and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add the chicken, beans, and chicken broth, turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Top with cheese and sour cream. Yum!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Mason Jar Salads
Since my addiction to all things Pinterest has been growing, I kept seeing posts of these mason jar salads. I've been wanting to try them for a few weeks and I finally have my kitchen in a state where I can start cooking (sort of) again. I made enough for lunch this week - so five salads total, two buffalo chicken and three Cobb. These are supposed to last 7-10 days in the fridge. I was skeptical but they totally last over a week! I think I ate my last one 8 days after I made it. Unbelievable!! I did not put the dressing in the bottom as many of the links said I could - that was too big of a leap of faith for me - but it's easy enough to add that in at work or wherever you're eating your meal.
Mason Jar Cobb Salad
This was not my favorite and I don't know that I'll make it again - seemed too high in calories to be worth eating a salad - but since it's pretty and some of you may like it I'll post the recipe.
Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1 large hard boiled egg
1.5 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked crispy
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips (I used Costco brand)
6 grape tomatoes
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Keep Separate: 2 tbsp light blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's brand)
Mason Jar Buffalo Chicken Salad
This one was really, really good and so easy - especially if you cheat and use precooked chicken and pregrated carrots like me!
Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1/2 cup carrots, grated
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips mixed with 2 tbsp wing sauce (I used the medium Kroger brand and it's really good!)
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Keep Separate: 2 tbsp light blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's brand) OR light ranch, if you prefer
Mason Jar Pear and Walnut Salad
After first drafting this post I made a third jar salad, but didn't remember to take a picture of it. For what it's worth, I think this was my favorite of all of them, but because of the pears it would only last 3 days I suspect.
Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1/2 pear, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup dried cherries
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Keep separate: 2 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing (I used the Wendy's pomegranate vinaigrette since I had some packets leftover.)
2 tbsp Fresh Gourmet glazed walnut pieces
Mason Jar Cobb SaladThis was not my favorite and I don't know that I'll make it again - seemed too high in calories to be worth eating a salad - but since it's pretty and some of you may like it I'll post the recipe.
Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1 large hard boiled egg
1.5 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked crispy
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips (I used Costco brand)
6 grape tomatoes
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Keep Separate: 2 tbsp light blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's brand)
Mason Jar Buffalo Chicken SaladThis one was really, really good and so easy - especially if you cheat and use precooked chicken and pregrated carrots like me!
Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1/2 cup carrots, grated
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips mixed with 2 tbsp wing sauce (I used the medium Kroger brand and it's really good!)
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Keep Separate: 2 tbsp light blue cheese dressing (I like Marie's brand) OR light ranch, if you prefer
Mason Jar Pear and Walnut SaladAfter first drafting this post I made a third jar salad, but didn't remember to take a picture of it. For what it's worth, I think this was my favorite of all of them, but because of the pears it would only last 3 days I suspect.
Ingredients (layer in order from bottom to top):
1/2 pear, chopped
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/3 cup dried cherries
3 oz precooked grilled chicken breast strips
1 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
Keep separate: 2 tbsp light vinaigrette dressing (I used the Wendy's pomegranate vinaigrette since I had some packets leftover.)
2 tbsp Fresh Gourmet glazed walnut pieces
Summer Squash Sausage Skillet (See what I did there?)
My first of (hopefully) many recipes for the new lower-carb plan I'm trying. A lot of these will be appropriate for the South Beach Diet Phase 1 - when I started in January 2011 I was on the South Beach diet and lost quite a bit of weight on it, but without the horrible effects of Atkins since you still get to eat vegetables. So without further ado...
Yield: 3 servings
Ingredients:
3 zucchini
3 yellow summer squash
3 Jenni-O hot Italian turkey sausage links
30 grape tomatoes
3/4 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray - I used the olive oil flavor but it really doesn't matter. Turn the stove on medium-high heat and put the turkey sausage links in the skillet to brown.
2. While your sausage is cooking, slice up your squash and zucchini. I used my new favorite kitchen tool, my mandolin, but if you're slicing by hand you want them about a quarter inch thick. Put all your slices in a big bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, red pepper, and italian spices to taste and then mix it all up to coat in the olive oil. (Make sure you are watching your sausage - they'll need to be turned!)
3. Once the sausage is completely cooked through, take it out of the skillet and add in the squash and zucchini. Let it cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
4. While the zucchini and squash is cooking, slice up your sausages into 10 pieces each (this just makes it easier to portion evenly). Add the sausage back in after the squash and zucchini has started to turn translucent, throw the tomatoes in, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of low fat mozzerella cheese. Devour.
 |
| I forgot to take a picture with the cheese on it - too hungry. |
Yield: 3 servingsIngredients:
3 zucchini
3 yellow summer squash
3 Jenni-O hot Italian turkey sausage links
30 grape tomatoes
3/4 cup low-fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray - I used the olive oil flavor but it really doesn't matter. Turn the stove on medium-high heat and put the turkey sausage links in the skillet to brown.
2. While your sausage is cooking, slice up your squash and zucchini. I used my new favorite kitchen tool, my mandolin, but if you're slicing by hand you want them about a quarter inch thick. Put all your slices in a big bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt, red pepper, and italian spices to taste and then mix it all up to coat in the olive oil. (Make sure you are watching your sausage - they'll need to be turned!)
3. Once the sausage is completely cooked through, take it out of the skillet and add in the squash and zucchini. Let it cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until they start to turn translucent, about 7-8 minutes.
4. While the zucchini and squash is cooking, slice up your sausages into 10 pieces each (this just makes it easier to portion evenly). Add the sausage back in after the squash and zucchini has started to turn translucent, throw the tomatoes in, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Top each serving with 1/4 cup of low fat mozzerella cheese. Devour.
Almost Officially Summer - New Plan
I've got 18 days until the official first day of summer, even though everyone knows summer really starts on Memorial Day weekend. I had my first get-together in my new place (!!), complete with cookout and lounging by the pool. We had a great time, although I'm mad at myself for not taking any pictures. During May I started and stopped tracking calories and working out approximately three times, and only lost 1.4 pounds. I just can't get past my whole three day hangup - you know, when the first day you're all excited to be back on track, you count your calories, you go to the gym, you're totally in control. Day two is similar, although you might not go to the gym because you did so well yesterday. Day three you are the angriest person anyone has ever seen, you end up going over your calories sometime that night because you just can't make it without ice cream, or you don't want to miss the happy hour and they had chips and queso, come on!
I got really frustrated this past week because during the cookout I ate a lot. I woke up that Monday morning weighing only 3 pounds less than what I weighed on January 1st of this year, basically wiping out any progress I had made. I took Memorial Day and decided I need to have some sort of plan to get me kick-started again. For some reason the eating normal food but just less isn't working for me right now. I looked at Medi-fast, since a woman at work is doing it and has lost quite a bit of weight, but it's pretty expensive and when I talked to my mom she said it tastes horrible. It also makes it difficult to go out to eat at lunch because you have very limited flex choices. I actually picked out a whole Medifast plan and put it in my Amazon shopping cart, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on it.
I looked at Nutrisystem too, since they keep running all these commercials and Costco had a deal on the one month plan for $200. That's really not too bad - although you still have to buy food for the weekend, and supplement their frozen meals with some fruits and veggies, it averages out to a little over $7 per day. But again I have the same problem - how do you deal with going out for a work lunch or dinner when the plan has no flexibility for substituting normal meals? Plus - you can get Lean Cuisines for $2 each - isn't that basically the same thing?
So I talked to mom. She mentioned that she likes the Carnation instant breakfast drinks - you just mix them with milk - and maybe I could try that instead of Medifast with similar results. I went to the store the next morning before work (I know, I was really into this) and picked out the vanilla regular mix and a sugar free chocolate mix with some skim milk. I also got some protein bars, some string cheese, turkey pepperoni, and sugar free Jello pudding for snacks. I've been having a shake for breakfast every morning - sometimes with some instant coffee or chai concentrate mixed in - and low carb everything else with snacks during the day. I've put EVERYTHING I eat into my calorie tracker on Sparkpeople since Tuesday morning. And you know what? I've lost 6 pounds since Monday morning. A lot of it is probably water weight, but still. AND I made it past the first three days!!
I'm headed to Chicago in five weeks or so and it would be so great if I can lose ten more pounds by then. I reworked my goal page (AGAIN) but I WILL stick with this plan and I WILL get results, and it's going to be fabulous.
Oh, I'm sorry, did you want some?
I got really frustrated this past week because during the cookout I ate a lot. I woke up that Monday morning weighing only 3 pounds less than what I weighed on January 1st of this year, basically wiping out any progress I had made. I took Memorial Day and decided I need to have some sort of plan to get me kick-started again. For some reason the eating normal food but just less isn't working for me right now. I looked at Medi-fast, since a woman at work is doing it and has lost quite a bit of weight, but it's pretty expensive and when I talked to my mom she said it tastes horrible. It also makes it difficult to go out to eat at lunch because you have very limited flex choices. I actually picked out a whole Medifast plan and put it in my Amazon shopping cart, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on it.
I looked at Nutrisystem too, since they keep running all these commercials and Costco had a deal on the one month plan for $200. That's really not too bad - although you still have to buy food for the weekend, and supplement their frozen meals with some fruits and veggies, it averages out to a little over $7 per day. But again I have the same problem - how do you deal with going out for a work lunch or dinner when the plan has no flexibility for substituting normal meals? Plus - you can get Lean Cuisines for $2 each - isn't that basically the same thing?
So I talked to mom. She mentioned that she likes the Carnation instant breakfast drinks - you just mix them with milk - and maybe I could try that instead of Medifast with similar results. I went to the store the next morning before work (I know, I was really into this) and picked out the vanilla regular mix and a sugar free chocolate mix with some skim milk. I also got some protein bars, some string cheese, turkey pepperoni, and sugar free Jello pudding for snacks. I've been having a shake for breakfast every morning - sometimes with some instant coffee or chai concentrate mixed in - and low carb everything else with snacks during the day. I've put EVERYTHING I eat into my calorie tracker on Sparkpeople since Tuesday morning. And you know what? I've lost 6 pounds since Monday morning. A lot of it is probably water weight, but still. AND I made it past the first three days!!
I'm headed to Chicago in five weeks or so and it would be so great if I can lose ten more pounds by then. I reworked my goal page (AGAIN) but I WILL stick with this plan and I WILL get results, and it's going to be fabulous.
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