Eating Out...Say What???

The hubby says, “Let’s go out” and I swear my heart skips a beat. Really??? I don’t have to cook? In that moment I think that I love him more than chocolate!

Someone waiting on you, “treats” that you never get to have... love it when I don’t have to cook but I know if I do it too often, I could end up in a LOT of trouble. (But, dang! That fresh bread they like to serve you is SO tempting!) How do you enjoy a meal out…really enjoy it…and still stay at least somewhat on track? Know exactly what you are eating, of course!

Read the description. How is the food being prepared? Grilled is great. Even sautéed is good….but not if it is “sautéed in a garlic butter sauce.” The word “stuffed” in a description should probably send up a red flag. Obviously “fried” or “breaded” are things you want to avoid. Pay attention to what you are putting in your mouth. Treats are alright to have in moderation, but a treat every day will take you down the wrong road fast. Can you splurge here and there? Sure…and if you don’t, you will probably end up feeling deprived. You just have to know how to balance. Pair your meal with a fresh salad or order grilled veggies for your side. Life is ALL about balance.

The picture above is my meal from a recent trip to the Outback. What can I say? It was a steakhouse so I had to have steak! But I did pair it with steamed veggies and a side salad with vinegarette dressing…and I kept my bread consumption to one small piece. I got my splurge and still balanced it out.

Leftovers

Leftovers....they are kind of like the ugly stepsister in my kitchen. Nobody except me ever seems to want them! I always seem to have a refrigerator full of leftovers and I am always looking for ways to use things up. Just a couple of the things I do…

Make a mix of brown rice and beans (I tend to like black beans) to serve with leftovers to change things up. I will serve leftover steak fajitas over this mix or toss it with leftover chicken to eat in a wrap. My kids even like using this mix with leftovers. There is no limit to the possibilities!

Always keep some cooked quinoa on hand. Quinoa is highly nutritious, can be mixed with anything, and can be eaten hot or cold. I like to cook mine in either vegetable broth or low sodium chicken broth for added flavor.

Sautéed vegetables. You usually will find some type of sautéed vegetables in my refrigerator. Chop up your leftover meat, heat the veggies and toss together….dinner is served!

Eggs...you can literally make an omelet out of most things! I usually keep some feta cheese on hand as well to toss in that omelet to give it a little more flavor. A veggie omelet is ALWAYS a good choice for a meal.

If all else fails, freeze it. Freeze those leftovers in small containers that you can grab for a quick, clean meal on those days when life gets crazy. It's in the busy mom survival guide....seriously! ;)

What do YOU do with all of those leftovers?

Soul Searching

I’m back!

I took a break from this blog for a while. I was questioning myself and had to figure out where I was headed with this and where I wanted to end up. Did I want to create a “business?” Or was this something different? After several months of soul searching, I think I know what I want. Building a business and making some extra money on the side is great and I am not against that, but that is not what drives me. It is my belief that we lift ourselves up by lifting others up.  Support and accountability mean so much. I am not a fitness guru. I am not a nutritional expert. I am a clumsy, uncoordinated mother of four who does her best to stick to a healthy lifestyle. I am just an ordinary woman who wants to enjoy life to the fullest. If I can share what I learn and still am learning while on my health and fitness journey with others and help them, then I see that as a benefit. It's all about the journey.

Whatever helps you to love yourself and become a better you, do that. Love yourself.

Basil-Walnut Millet Pilaf

I love anything "grainy" and I really loved the slight hint of citrus in this millet recipe. Millet is so good for you...excellent source or iron, high in antioxidants, and LOTS of fiber and protein. This was a great side and is a definite repeat recipe for me!

3/4 C dry millet

2 1/4 C organic or reduced sodium vegetable broth

1 lemon, 1 tsp shredded zest and 1 tsp juice, divided

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 C thinly sliced basil leaves

1/4 C chopped walnuts, toasted or raw

1 TBS nutritional yeast seasoning or grated Parmesan cheese (I had no idea where to find the yeast seasoning so I used the Parmesan)

1/4 tsp all-natural sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Combine millet, broth, oil, lemon zest, and garlic powder in a pot. Cover and bring to a boil on high. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Allow to sit covered (don't peak!) for 10 minutes. Add lemon juice, basil, walnuts, nutritional yeast OR Parmesan, salt and pepper. Fluff with fork. Serve hot and enjoy! :)  (8 servings)

Simple Chicken Snow Pea Stir Fry

I made this for my daughter the other night wham she needed something quick and delivered it where she was working (hence the "fancy" place setting!). She is doing a boot camp and I wanted to help her to stay on track. It is easy, quick...and, according to her, delicious! :)
This makes one serving.

4 ounces chicken breast, sliced
1 cup snow peas
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 TBS soy sauce
1/4 cup cooked brown rice

In a drizzle of olive oil or grape seed oil, cook chicken in a skillet until juices run clear. (I cut my chicken more into bite size pieces). Add onion and snow peas. Continue to cook unit tender. Drizzle with soy sauce. Toss with rice and enjoy!

Struggles: Last...or First?

I struggle with my nutrition every day. My family still likes their treats and so every day I am faced with new challenges in the kitchen. I will not force my choices on them because I am a firm believer that forcing someone does not work. In order for something to work, people have to make the choice to do it. This struggle is mine and mine alone.

Growing up, I never had to worry about my weight. I was one of those kids who had a high metabolism. In high school, I weighed 108 pounds. I could eat whatever I wanted and never had to worry about putting on weight. In fact…when I first started dating my husband, I could out eat him!

That soon changed once I got married and started having babies. With my first baby, I had gestational diabetes and had to monitor my blood sugar carefully. Because of this, I watched my diet and didn’t put on an excessive amount of weight….but then came three more pregnancies within a five year span. I didn’t have gestational diabetes with any of my other children and I took great pleasure in eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Isn’t that the stereotype of pregnancy that we promote in our society? When you are supposed to put on weight, you are supposed to have cravings, and you are supposed to indulge…right? The problem was that I used that stereotype as an excuse to be lazy about my nutrition.  I decided that I was going to enjoy the pregnancy stereotype to the fullest and eat anything and everything that I wanted. NOT a good decision.

With my first pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes so I was forced to test my blood sugar twice a day and monitor my diet closely. This only made me more determined to thoroughly enjoy the nutritional stereotype of pregnancy to the fullest with my next three pregnancies since I did not have gestational diabetes with any of them….and unfortunately, I did. I only gained 19 pounds with my first pregnancy. With my second pregnancy, I gained 37 pounds. I had all four of my babies within a five year time span which did not give me much time to get back into shape in between.

Quite honestly, I lost myself in the pursuit of my dream of having a family. I lost sight of the reality of what putting myself last all the time would do to me. Let me make myself clear. I do NOT regret having my family. My girls and my husband are my life. My girls are the BEST thing I have done in my life….but I wish that I would have realized sooner that I did not have to sacrifice myself and who I was in order to become a mother and wife.

Taking care of myself makes me a better, happier mom and wife. Don’t put yourself last.

Banana Nut Chocolate Chip Muffins

I had ripe bananas that I needed to use up and I really didn't want to make the usual banana bread...because I would eat it! This was a healthier alternative and tasted great. It should be noted, however, that you can still overindulge with these so enjoy in moderation!

2 ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder (not necessarily totally clean, but OK in small amounts)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of all-natural sea salt
2 eggs, whisked
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
2 TBS raw honey
1/2 cup dark mini chocolate chips

In a small bowl, smash the bananas. Add eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and honey. Stir until combined. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add chocolate chips and chopped nuts. Pour batter into a muffin tin lined with baking cups. Fill each cup about 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in one comes out clean.
Store covered in fridge. You can also freeze for later!