Crockpot Lovin'

I finally broke down and bought a crock pot. It's sorta like a crack pipe in that once you get a hit, you will never be able to go back (not that I would know). Tonight I made beef stew which can be VERY fattening and overly indulgent. Instead of throwing anything and everything into the pot, I was careful to trim the fat off the meat and buy products with no fat! You can make a SHIT ton of stuff with a crock pot but it might not always be the best for you. There is a website called Skinny Crock Pot that has a ton of recipes that are lighter and but still filling. I will be using this later in the week for more food.
I got brave with this recipe and added cinnamon. I would have never thought to put cinnamon in with beef, carrots, potatoes, and peas but something told me to do it. I don't know, I'm not going to stop genius. I am happy I listened to that little voice because OMFG is it amazing.

Ingredients

1to 1.5 lbs of beef chuck
6 red potatoes quartered
1 can of sweet peas
5 large carrots, peeled, chopped
2 tsp of cinnamon
1 tsp of cracked black pepper
2 bay leaves
3/4 of a box of non fat, low sodium beef broth

Directions

Layer with potatoes and veggies on the bottom followed by meat and beef broth. Cook for 7-8 hours on high depending on what kind of crock pot you have. Serve in about 1.5 cups per person.

Enjoy!

On the running front: I am doing well and signed up for my first 5k on Thanksgiving. I'm so pumped. I can't wait. I'm running 4 days a week. I'm going to start a new stage in run your butt off this week. I'm pretty pumped. Wish me luck!!

Worst.Blogger.Ever.

Well...It's official. I'm highly irresponsible. A lot of my friends who so kindly read my blog have been asking, "Where are you?" or "Why haven't you been blogging?" or "Why are so lazy?" JK on the last one. Here's the honest to God truth. I have been eating like shit and barely working out. I have been making excuse after excuse after excuse to NOT eat right and not work out. With the holiday season approaching fast, I MUST work to get it together. I will say, I am getting faster and stronger as I run. I ran my fastest average ever at 12:34 mins a mile. For a chick that used to forge her parent's signature to get out of running the mile in school (SORRY MOM!!!), that's badass.
I thought about writing a sob story saying how busy I am and how I just started grade school and wah wah wahhhhh. The reality is, we are all busy. We all got shit to do. I am no different than anyone. I just know how to talk myself out of running or eat right when I'm out. When I go to Happy Hour, I get a little too happy with all the chips and salsa and margaritas. I drink a lot more and I eat a lot more which means I have gained 3 pounds. You might say, OHHHH BIG FREAKING DEAL...no it is. I fight for every pound.
Being overweight or struggling with your weight is a life long commitment. It's not something that you say, I'm going to lose 18 pounds and that's it. Nice try. Just like an incurable disease, I will always struggle with my weight. I tend to forget that. I wish I can snap my fingers and that's it but of course here I am in my size 12 jeans.
To sum up all my ramblings, I am forgiving myself for not keeping up my summer routine (after school has started and so has grad school) and plowing ahead. I'm doing the MS 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning with my boyfriend's mom. I am so excited to do this because I'm already running 2.7 miles to begin with so just a little more and I'm solid. Let's keep encouraging each other and keep the positive vibes coming!!!!!!!

CHEEEEESSSEEEEEE

I'm so sorry I have not blogged in a REALLY long time. I want to post this quick and VERY easy recipe that feed you all week. It's delicious and can be as simple or complex as possible. I promise to blog about my progress this week. Things are crazy with school, grad school, my friend's wedding, moving, and life in general!
Here is a great recipe for Cheesy Enchiladas at only 425 cals a serving!

Cheesy Enchiladas

The Yellow Ones Don't Stop.

That's right. The yellow ones don't stop. Neither do the red, black, tan, white, and all the colors of the rainbow don't stop. I'm talking about cars AND bikes. Really black Mercedes? Did you really need to do that rolling stop then stop again then get pissed because I am crossing. Oh and you douche bag on the bike, you're not hip and you're not cool with little shorts and unwillingness to stop or obey the rules of the road but you want to share it. Enough people. If you are on a moving object, I'm most likely going to get my ass handed to me so please watch out for walkers/runners.

Any who, I am on the 4th stage of Run Your Butt Off. I am now running 4 minutes and walking 2 minutes with a 5 minute warm up. I run a total of 20 minutes now. I love this program because it's simple and doable. They say your run should not be that much faster than your walk. If you walk at a 3.5 mph pace, you should run at 4.5-5 mph so that you don't over do yourself. It's not necessary to sprint because then you're not building your stamina. Take your time and remember to follow your program. If you're doing Couch to 5k (which is brilliant), walk when it says walk, run when it says run. Do not run more or even walk more. If you follow these programs, it will happen. So often we blame the diet or the exercise for our failure. Well SURPRISE, if you dont' do the work or if you don't eat the food YOU WON'T LOSE WEIGHT. If you don't do the running the schedule, you will not be a runner. It is as simple as that. You do NOT have to run, just walk or bike or swim. Do anything to keep your body moving. I look around my school and see KIDS that are struggling to make it up the stairs. Do not yourself or your loved ones be that person. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.

Sheperd's Pie during the summer...oh heck yes.

Kevin asked me to make him a Shepherd's Pie. Didn't really expect it especially during summer. Of course, I went on the hunt for a recipe that still has the flavor but not as much fat. I decided to go with a REALLY LEAN ground sirloin and we splurged on the mashed potatoes. I went for a sirloin that was 4% and locally produced in PA. It was all natural and VERY tender. The cheese I bought was from Trader Joe's and had NO hormones. I added some steak sauce and a little bit of sweet bbq sauce for flavor.

Ingredients

2 cups prepared mashed potatoes (such as Simply Potatoes)
3/4 pound ground sirloin
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat extrasharp cheddar cheese

About 356 cals a serving as long as you keep it lean. Remember DON'T SKIP TASTE. Otherwise, you won't want to eat it.

Happy School Year!

Well it's every teacher's worst nightmare...starting the school after making positive eating changes. A couple of enemies in the school: the teacher's lounge, the front office, and Fat Fridays. I believe goal setting is the only way you can see what's in front of you so here are my goals for the school year (health wise and fashion...yes fashion):

1. I will only bring snacks to school that are protein packed and/or easily proportioned. This includes: raw almonds, raw peanuts, trail mix, fat free popcorn, veggies, and hummus. If anyone wants to by me a frig for my room, I will give your kid an A. Yep I'm not above it.

2. Even when I am tired and drained from both work and grad school, I WILL GO FOR A WORKOUT. If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook and I post something that is along the lines of "I'm so tired" or "I'm so stressed" or "Reward day" PLEASE COMMENT AND TELL ME I'M STILL FAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not mean, it's reality.

3. Budget, budget, budget my groceries every week. You can eat skinny but still be on a budget if you keep simple things in mind. Foods that can last or recipes that can be eaten all week are you best friends. If you plan ahead and budget for it, it's not hard to eat healthy on a budget.

4. I need to dress for my body. Even though I'm trying to lose and have lost a little over 6 pounds, that does not mean I can fit into a smaller size. I'm still around the same size. I've trimmed down in terms of inches but I'm still on my journey. DO NOT FOOL YOURSELF INTO THINKING YOU CAN WEAR SMALLER CLOTHES BECAUSE YOU ARE LOSING WEIGHT. Wait and be surprised by your smaller size. There is literally no better feeling than putting on a size smaller but if you wear clothes that are too small or cover up your body, you will lose sight of your body image. You will slip right back into FAT GIRL SYNDROME and start buying clothes that are too small. Stacey and Clinton on "What Not to Wear" always say, "DRESS YOUR BODY NOT YOUR FUTURE BODY". This is so true. Dress your body now, and you will want to take care of it.

Go enjoy the end of summer and welcome back to all my teacher friends!!

Tis the season

For heirloom tomatoes, fah la la la la la la...you get it. Any who, heirloom tomatoes are in season and in honor of meatless Monday, I made a VERY simple but very satisfying meal. One cup of heirloom tomatoes is only 35 calories. They are small, meaty and beautiful. This meal can be made in about 10 minutes and since I am making it for myself, the portions are smaller.

Ingredients
1 cup of heirloom tomatoes (check out Trader Joe's)
1 tsp of minced garlic
.5 tbsp of EVO
Season with basil, salt and pepper
Optional: grated parmigiano reggiano
1 cup of organic whole wheat pasta (in my case 2 cups)

Directions
In a large pot, bring water to a boil and place pasta in pot and stir constantly.
In a small sauce pan and LOW heat put the first four ingredients together. There should be TONS of juice from the tomatoes that it will look like a thin sauce. Cook until the tomatoes are soft but juicy.  Once everything is cooked through then add them all together. Once again, CHEESE IS OPTIONAL! (But completely delicious)

In my case this was 523 calories but if you do just one cup it will only cost you about 322 calories! Eat them up will you can!

What I Learned at Cheer Camp.

1. There is a reason why Freshmen in college gain weight. The food is plentiful and alcohol is over the top. While I was at cheer camp (yes you may judge), we ate like we would have if we were in a dorm. Remember back in the day when you were a little bright eyed Freshmen ready to take the world on. Remember that dorm food that you swear was disgusting. You probably blocked it out, but you DESTROYED plate after plate of that disgusting, processed, easily accessible food. Do NOT deny it. At every meal, there was something AWFUL waiting for me to consume but I said NO. NON. I stayed away from fried food and chose to eat salads and my delicious Clif Bars. Even when we went to McDonald's, I got a grilled chicken sandwich with a bottle of water...wah wah waaaaah. But I saved myself 680 calories. The point is, you have choices. SO MAKE THE RIGHT FREAKING ONES. You know what's right and wrong. If you are in a situation, like a limited menu, then make decisions that will save you calories and a ton of regret.

2. You need to be creative with your work outs. I thought, "We will be at a camp in the woods. OF COURSE there will be a trail I can run on." Well the camp is called Trail's End. Yeah...about that. I only had one GIANT hill and that's about it. I was bitching and moaning all week. "I can't work out" or "What am I supposed to do?" It wasn't until the last night I saw the light...literally. At night the tennis courts are lit up and all the camp workers use that as the track. Gosh damnit. I spent 3 days trying to figure out how to get some kind of a work out and there it was the entire time. FAIL. Lesson learned here: BE CREATIVE.

3. Your youth is the time to lose weight. Not when you wake at 45 and decide it's time to be fit. It's MUCH harder to become healthy later in life than when you are younger. Why? Your metabolism slows down but it is NOT impossible to lose weight later on. As I looked around the camp, I saw girls that were over weight and struggling to feel comfortable in booty shorts and tank tops. I had flashbacks to my days on the drill team and SQUEEEZZZZINNNGGG into those uniforms and always feeling uncomfortable in my shorts. I'm about to be brutally honest right now. Avert you eyes if you are sensitive to the truth or don't want to me to heartless. If you know a teen that is over weight, you need to intervene. It's hard enough being a teenager, but being an overweight teen is completely awful. I wish, no...I'm not going to regret my youth but I am going to say a conversation about weight and health can go a long way. They are going to hate you and tell you that you're a horrible person but you're doing the right thing.

To recap: You must make the right decisions with your food, be innovative with your work outs and catch your (or your teen's/friend/sister/boo's) bad habits sooner rather than later

My personal favorite. Salmon.

I love salmon. As a product of the great Northwest, I believe it's ingrained in our minds that salmon must be perfect. You eat certain kinds of salmons and that's it. So whenever I see salmon on the menu, I must ask, "Where is your salmon from?" and if the answer is Atlantic...I cringe. Copper River Salmon (King, Sockeye and Coho) is the best salmon in the world. It was like a treat to have it in my house. My mom cooks the best salmon in the world. She knows the exact time and look of the salmon when it's perfect to eat. She would cooks it with dill and lemon juice. Simple and straight forward.
Last night we had Atlantic salmon. A cardinal sin. It was painful to admit I ate but I will say...it was delicious. Still had that wild salmon taste but juicy!

Ingredients
8 oz salmon fillet
Lemon Juice
Salt and pepper
3 tbsp of fat free balsamic vinaigrette 

Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Sprinkle lemon juice all over the fillet along with salt and pepper. Wrap salmon in aluminum foil so that it is covered completely. Place in a baking pan and cook as is for 20 minutes.
Remove and uncover salmon. Pour your balsamic vinaigrette over the salmon and spread evenly. Cover salmon again and place back in the oven for 10-15 minutes more.

4 oz serving- 200 calories
It's a great alternative to ground beef or turkey. One serving of this and you have your entire daily requirement of Vitamin D! Plus it's rich in Omega-3 fats that are the "good fats".

To find out more about Copper River Salmon, here is the link: Copper River Salmon

Roasting Eggplant...easy peasy.

Looking for something different...try oven roasting!
Preheat your oven to 400.
Cut eggplant in half and score the eggplant in a X pattern.

Depending on the size of your eggplant, you will rub in salt to all the crevasses. The salt must be inside of the eggplant in order to dehydrate the plant. Let it sit for a minimum of 30 minutes. When you notice a puddle of juice under the eggplant you are ready to squeeze out the water from the eggplant. It's important to get ALL of the water out of the eggplant.

Next, brush on olive oil with any seasoning you desire. I chose garlic, thyme, salt and pepper.

Cook for 45 to 60 minutes and VOILA you have a delicious side dish that will fill you up with about 53 calories for 1 oz.

Sorry for all the emo photos. I just love this app on my phone.

Cook What You Got

And I have eggplant, zucchini, whole pizza dough, and mozzarella. It's been far to long since my last post. I have been eating these veggie burgers from Trader Joe's that are to DIE FOR but I needed to use these veggies before they went bad. I have never been one for zucchini or eggplant but since I'm trying my best to eat more vegetables, fruits, and all natural meats, I decided to give it shot. However, it must taste good in order to lose weight. If food does not taste good, why would you eat. Well, we need it to stay alive. But more than that, food should be an experience and nourish our souls. Not just our bodies. I need to eat food that is grown naturally without the help of hormones or processing. I lost 40 pounds in France due to walking every where and a healthy all natural diet. Let's not confuse natural and organic. Organic food is still processed, but with very few chemicals. When I say natural, I want cows that only eat grass and chickens that only eat seed from the earth. Of course it's not completely possible for me to cut out all processed food so YES I will turn to organic because it's lower in chemicals. It's really important to keep this in mind when choosing foods. I love Trader Joe's Market for that reason. Lot's of organic and natural choices. In this meal, the most processed thing in this meal is the dough.
I had lunch with my dear friend Leslie and she showed a recipe for zucchini pizza so I stole the idea and came up with my own idea.

Ingredients
Trader Joe's Whole Wheat Pizza Dough
1/2 Eggplant, sliced
1/2 Yellow Zuchinni, sliced, peeled
1/2 Green Zuchinni, sliced, peeled
3 tbs fat free balsamic vinaigrette
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Red pepper flakes
Four for rolling the dough

Directions

Preheat oven to 425

On low to medium heat, cook eggplant and zuchinni in balsamic vinaigrette and garlic. Move zucchini around the pan so not to burn. Cook eggplant about 4 minutes on each side. You may need to add more EOV to make sure the vinaigrette doesn't start to burn. Remove from heat once veggies are cooked through. Set aside.

On a flat counter, cover area with flour and cover rolling pin with flour. Spread out dough as desired.

Layer eggplant first, then mozzarella, then zucchini, then mozzarella. Season with red pepper flakes as desired.

Cook for 15 minutes MAX. And BAM. There you go...delicious vegetarian dish.

If you're feeding 8 people, it's about 210 calories a slice. Hope you enjoy!

On a side note, my brother wants me to give a shout out o myfitnesspal.com. It's true. They are fantastic and SO EASY to use. They have every food possible!!!! If you have a smart phone, I highly suggest their app!

STRIPERS! No not strippers.

Yesterday, Kevin caught a Striper fish in MD and we decided to cook it. I love cooking for a couple of reasons. 1. You can literally cook anything. 2. You can throw shit in a pan and pray it turns out great. I had NEVER cooked fresh fish before. I knew I had some curry and cumin spices so I thought...why not. Like I said, you can literally throw shit in a pot and BAM you got something incredible. I also had asparagus and wild brown rice too cook with it.

Marinate Inredigents (no real measurements)
Soy sauce
White wine vinegar
EVO
Cumin
Curry
Salt and pepper
Minced garlic

Directions
Cook your FRESH fish in his mixture on medium to low heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes on each side. We let it cook on a lower heat so that it could absorb all the flavors.

Asparagus Ingredients
Water
Minced garlic
EVO

Directions
Put the spears in a large sauce pan with water, evo and garlic on low to medium heat. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. This allows the asparagus to steam in the mixture rather than cook on high heat.

Total calories for the 4 oz of fish, 1 cup of rice and 7 spears of asparagus: 486 calories.

The easiest way to lose weight...

Is to buy pre-made meals. What can you learn from that? How to use a microwave. I understand the easiest thing to do is to heat up a meal that is 7 points or 250 calories or low in fat but you will never learn. When I reached my lowest weight I was doing that. I didn't trust myself to cook for myself so I ate Lean Cuisines or Smart Meals. I obviously gained back my weight. Why? BECAUSE I NEVER LEARNED HOW TO EAT FOR MYSELF. Of course you can lose weight by heating up a meal and keeping yourself on a strict diet. So what happens when you leave the comfort of your microwave? What happens when you run into a nachos and beer at happy hour? I can tell you A LOT will happen. Over eating, over drinking. Do not think that there's an easy way to lose weight.
The easiest and quickest way for me to lose weight is to eat the frozen meals. But that is not acceptable. I want to learn how to cook for myself and others. I want to learn how to eat properly. Will it take longer? OF COURSE. But it should. I am not scared. I'm not frustrated. This is going to take a long time. Hopefully we're all in it together.

Peanut butter oat bread...nothing witty to say.

So it's not 1,000,000 degrees out anymore so I took the opportunity to bake. Plus, I'm out of cereal so I need something for breakfast. I had oats left over from my banana bread I made. I also LOVE peanut butter. I took the idea of muffins and made into a loaf. I used less ingredients but each slice is about 222 calories.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Eggs, 1 Egg White
Cooking spray
1 cup of Old Fashion Oats

Directions
I combined all the dry ingredients in one bowl then all the "wet" ingredients in another bowl. I made sure they were mixed well then combined them. I sprayed the pan with cooking spray and baked it on 350 for 50 minutes. BAM.

Game on.

Running is a whole new high that I've never felt. I've tried a lot of different drugs (Legit...not being metaphorical here) but nothing has ever felt so good as getting off my treadmill dripping sweat. This is the best high ever.

Progress...
I started tracking my progress by mileage rather than time until I read Run Your Butt Off. I started with Stage two because I had already been running...a little. Before I started I was doing .25 miles of walking then ran for .75 miles in 14:40. I do 3 mins of 3.5 mph walking then 3 minutes of 4.8 mph jog.
This is the break down:
5 mins warm-up at 2.5 mph
3 mins walking at 3.5 mph
3 mins jogging at 4.8 mph
Repeat the 3/3 five times which means you are running 15 minutes! What Whattttt!
Also do a cool down at the end of this for 5 minutes slowing yourself down. I burn 293 calories later...you're sweating like a whore in church. I do about 2.54 miles in 40 minutes. Very slow but it's a start.
In an effort to burn about 25% of my caloric intake, I do another 15 minutes on the Elliptical to burn 195 calories which is the grand total of (drum roll please................488!!!!) I am allowed 1720 calories using MyFitnessPal.com so that's over 25%. BAM.
Let's keep this going. Just because school is starting in a month (I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT), doesn't mean I am allowed to slip. If I don't post anything in the next month, PLEASE MAKE ME!

It don't matter if you're black or white or yellow or red.

Black beans, corn, and onions...all combined with sweet and red onions is a simple but tasty solution for your summer salsa or in my case, lunch. Kevin and I were taking about what to make last night and he suggested this combination because it's his father's staple. We decided instead to make a GIANT batch for the week. We're going to combine it with a whole wheat tortilla and cilantro and jalapeno hummus for a vegetarian meal.
Corn is a great because it's contains Vitamins B1, B5 and C. It also promotes new cell generation which is always a great thing when you're living. Black beans seem to literally help every part of your body. Studies have shown it helps regulate your blood sugar and your digestive tract.

Calorie Counts:
1/4 cup of corn
1/4 cup of black beans
2 tbsp of cilantro and jalapeno hummus
1 tortilla
1 tbsp red onion
1 tbsp sweet onion
Total = 308 Calories

A Tale of Two Tacos

My boyfriend commented on how I always make fun of his puns but I use them in my writing. A lot. I told him I am the generation of Carrie Bradshaw. Everything is a pun. She was a queen of them. So today, I write about two different tacos with a big difference. My friend Sam recently posted a picture that said, "This is my Mexican food: 20% alcohol, 20% food, 60% sour cream". The killer. The barbarian. The DISGUSTING. Sour cream. I hate it. No that's a lie. My FGS comes out big time when I eat. "Oh I can eat that because it's low in fat. I look good..blah blah blah." Man, FGS is brutal some days. I really try to stay away from because it can be the most fattening thing on your plate.

Mahi Mahi Tacos

2 Mahi Mahi fillets
One Trader Joe's Guacamole pack
Whole Wheat tortillas
Fresh cilantro
Extra lime juice

Cook the Mahi Mahi in lime juice and garlic and let it cook on medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side until the fish is white and flakey. I added some Cajun seasoning to add some spice.

Kevin opted for sour cream and I opted for none. We also decided to not make the guac but instead eat them as slices. One taco is healthier than the other...I'll give you two guesses. I hope you only need one. Just by changing our eating habits we can be better eaters. As a TRUE CALIFORNIAN, avocado is the greatest and most delish additive to any meal. Yum.
According to myfitnesspal.com this meal is 486 calories for two tacos. Not to shabby for a meal.

OLE! I chose the wrong language.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Tex-Mex food. I also love Tex-Mex food during the summer. So what I am trying to say that my next few posts will most likely include Tex-Mex food. Let's get one thing straight from the beginning...this is not Mexican food. Mexican is different from Tex-Mex meaning that it's Americanized Mexican food. Mexican is not as seasoned as Tex-Mex food. That doesn't mean it's less flavorful it just means it's different spices and different cooking. Don't get me wrong...I love Mexican food but I love the spices and the fatties of the Tex-Mex food. I decided to make my own guacamole to got with my soft tacos.

Here are my ingredients:
1 pound of ground lean turkey
1 packet of low sodium taco seasoning
2 avocados, pitted, mashed
2 tomatoes, minced
Cilantro
Salt and pepper
Garlic, minced
Whole wheat tortillas

This is a no-brainer. You cook your turkey, you combine all the goods for your "guac" (it's not all the ingredients for regular guac). Finally, put all in the tortilla and BAM. You can eat all week with different toppings to add flavor. I actually saved the bell pepper for later when I created veggie tacos.

Yummmmmmmm.

Thanks to Randi for the advice on Run Your Butt Off. I love it. It's a great book with great advice. I know check Runner's World for all the latest tips on nutrition and running! I highly recommend it! Go for it peeps.

croissant croissant CRRRROOIIISSANT baggUEEETTEE du fromage.

That's the French National Anthem according to my friend Britt. And in honor of Bastille Day (La fete nationale) I decided to make my favorite dish that I ate ALL THE TIME in France. The quiche. The French love them and in fact make them in small serving sizes. We used to grab a quiche to go in your local boulangerie. I love France and I love French cooking. I love everything about the culture. I am happy I decided to go with a dish that is so versatile. Thought to have originated in western France, a quiche can be made with really anything you want! Seriously...anything.

I'm feeling very citoyenish today. Liberite. Egalite. Fraternite.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) Green Giant Spinach (Weight Watchers approved)
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons green onions
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
3/4 cup sauteed onions
1/3 cup chopped turkey bacon
1/4 cup (1 ounce) shredded Swiss cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Shape the dough into a 4-inch circle; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Roll the dough into an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, and flute.
Combine the spinach, sour cream, and shallots in a small bowl. Combine the evaporated milk, salt, pepper, egg whites, and egg in a medium bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Stir 1/3 cup milk mixture into spinach mixture. Spoon the spinach mixture into bottom of prepared crust. Add Caramelized Onions, and top with bacon and cheese. Pour the remaining milk mixture over cheese. Place pie plate on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until set. Let quiche stand 10 minutes.

This was so FREAKING DELICIOUS. This was a little more complicated than I'm used too but oh man. This was gooooooood. 

Here's the nutrition values!


Calories: 261
Calories from fat: 22%
Fat: 6.3g
Saturated fat: 2.3g
Protein: 12.6g
Carbohydrate: 35g
Fiber: 2.7g

This yields about 6 servings.  Bon Appetit.

RUN KATIE RUN....okay.

I have never been a runner. I don't know how I feel about running but today I ran. I usually do the Arc Trainer for 30 minutes then do some strength training. Today, I strayed from the usual. I got on the treadmill and walked for 10 minutes and ran for another 6 minutes and 11 seconds. That's how long my mile is as of today. I walked/ran my first mile in 16:11. I don't think I actually timed myself on a mile since high school and that was a joke. On the Arc Trainer, I usually complete "1.51 miles" in 30 minutes. Of course, I don't really believe that. I think it's less than that. I like how I felt while I was running. It felt good and I felt like I was accomplishing something. My friend Julia said she wanted to run with me and I told her she needed to teach me how to run. I feel like there's a technique to running and I probably don't have the right one. I got a LOT of fat on me so there's a lot moving on my body as I run but it was sort of a high. I've been reading about how to training to for a 5 ks and I see that you should run/walk in intervals. I'm not coordinated enough to do that with a treadmill. My plan is to walk for 10 minutes and run for 5 for one full week. I would like to then move it to 9 minutes walk/6 minutes run and continue the pattern. I like to imagine I'm Forest Gump and those hillbillies are running after me. It makes me laugh and makes want to run. So here's go nottthhhiinnng.

I've also changed my eating habits. I eat 3 meals a day with 2 small snacks in the middle of the those meals. These meals are not just one thing. I incorporate veggies or fruits with my main course. This helps boast the metabolism. I'm trying to eat every 2-3 hours. This is so important because I won't over eat when I do sit down to each meal. I used to SAY I ate 3 meals a day which is total bull shit. I ate 3 meals a day with snacks, snacks, snacks and over ate a lot. Yes I'm hungry but I'm always hungry. My body is used to more calories and more crap. I make sure to drink 64 oz of water everyday using my water bottle. It's the small things that help you manage your eating.

Meatless Monday.

I'm starting to feel like might titles have all this sexual/drug undertones. I decided to go vegetarian for the night and go for the beans. I watched a video on my favorite website www.cookinglight.com about super foods and beans is one. Beans, beans, the magical fruit...well you know. I saw this recipe on their Facebook page and decided to make a bigger portion so I could eat it throughout the week. Looking back, I would not add the cheese right away but add it as I service. It's simple. It's light. It's filling.


I also forgot my basil and balsamic vinegar. Whoops.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped tomato
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 cups hot cooked angel hair (about 6 ounces uncooked pasta)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• Basil sprigs (optional)

Preparation

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomato and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add pasta, basil, salt, pepper, and chickpeas; cook 2 minutes. Place mixture in a bowl; stir in cheese and vinegar, and garnish with basil, if desired.

Nutritional Information (1 serving = 1.25 cups)

Calorie: 376
Fat: 8.7g
Protein: 17.5g
Carbohydrates: 57.8g
Fiber: 4.7g

Another Sweet Tooth.

I LOVE ME SOME CHOCOLATE. No weirdos. Like actual chocolate. So delicious. So I decided to make more own chocolate sauce that I once again got from Cooking Light. I poured it over some fat free vanilla ice cream and BAM...a little piece of awesomeness.

Ingredients
6 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
6 tablespoons water
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Dash of salt
6 cups vanilla fat-free ice cream
 
Preparation

1. Place chocolate in a large bowl; set aside.
2. Combine water, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour hot sugar mixture over chocolate; stir gently until smooth. Spoon 3/4 cup ice cream into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 2 tablespoons sauce.

 

Pizza Powah.

Pizza is so easy to make and can be saved and eaten for lunch the next day. Don't be afraid of making pizza. Super duper easy. My boyfriend doesn't like mushrooms so I went with Italian sausage I had left over from my sausage and shrimp stew. I followed the recipe from Cooking Light App that's a no-brainer.

(You will also notice there's not sauce. Still tastes amazing.)
Kevin Wright wants credit for this dish but he did nothing. EXCEPT put a delicious amount of oregano. He's a good guy.

Ingredients


1 (11-ounce) can refrigerated French bread dough
2 teaspoons yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups vertically sliced onions (about 2 small)
1 (8-ounce) package presliced cremini mushrooms (Italian Sausage instead)
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded white cheddar cheese
6 bacon slices, cooked and coarsely crumbled
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

 Directions

1. Find lengthwise seam in dough. Beginning at seam, gently unroll dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Stretch dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface; transfer to a round pizza pan or large baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal.
2. Preheat oven to 425°.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sauté 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place chopped onion in a bowl. Add cremini mushrooms to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates. Add mushrooms to onion mixture; toss. Spread onion mixture evenly over prepared dough, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with white cheddar cheese and bacon. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Sprinkle with parsley. Cut into 12 wedges

So simple. So quick. You can also run out to Trader Joe's for their whole wheat pizza crust. 

Nutrition

Calories: 316
Fat: 14.9g
Saturated fat: 6.6g
Monounsaturated fat: 5.5g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1g
Protein: 15.6g
Carbohydrate: 31.1g
Fiber: 0.9g

Great Expectations.

In all of weight loss journeys, we expect to lose weight and lose it quickly. I know it's a long journey and I'm building my arsenel of weapons against fat. I remember my friend Hayden used to say, "Wouldn't it be awesome if we could just take our fat off our bodies and throw it onto to someone else. Like someone you hate." Yes Hayden. In my perfect world I would have the ability. Right now, I would throw my fat at Casey Anthony. But we all want to throw other things at her so we'll save that for later.
I downloaded the Cooking Light App with the expectations it would change daily but it doesn't. The recipes are wonderful but I need variety. They also don't have a search button. You can't look for recipes which is sad considering I paid for it! I also got rid of my Weight Watchers app and subscriptions for two reasons: 1. I was paying $18 to stress about points. 2. It taught me what to look for when I'm deciding what to eat and how to create appropriate portions for my meals. I think we need to practice patience. I want to lose weight so bad but it's not going to happen by willing it or complaining about it or paying for it. I have to practice good habits of cutting out the unnecessary and bringing in the necessary. I posted some websites I use but I am asking for your help in finding more resources in healthy eating/living. Be patient and understand it will happen with time and A LOT OF HARD WORK.
On a side note...I am also working on losing debt. I downloaded an App from Mint.com that was recommended by my friend Julia. It's amazing and helps me plan and budget. I'm not ready to share my debt solutions yet but when I get there, I'll tell you about that GIANT weight loss.

I have a sweet tooth.

I know it sounds like a bad pick up line but it happens. It sucks. You want everything. EVERYTHING. Fruit is a great thing to help with that craving but it doesn't satisfy you completely. I found this recipe but I modified it to keep costs down. I took the concept of the recipe and applied to my own. Here's the original from Cooking Light.

Ingredients

1/4 cup crushed amaretti cookies (about 4 cookies)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 large ripe peaches, halved and pitted
Cooking spray
4 teaspoons butter
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, shaved



Directions


1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine cookie crumbs and sugar in a small bowl.
3. Hollow center of peach halves using a melon baller. Arrange peaches, cut sides up, in an 8-inch square metal baking pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 2 minutes. Remove pan from oven. Carefully fill each peach half with 1 rounded tablespoon cookie crumb mixture. Place 1 teaspoon butter on top of each filled half. Broil 2 minutes or until butter melts. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

I decided to use Special K (about 1/4 cup) instead of cookies and I used cinnamon (1 tsp) instead of chocolate. I did everything the exact same just different ingredients.

This might be lower in calories and it's SUPER SWEET AND TASTY!! I love it. I can be addicted to it.
Here's the original nutritional facts. Each one is 5 points which is totally cool for a dessert!


Calories: 132
Fat: 7.4g
Protein: 1.6g
Carbohydrate: 18.6g
Fiber: 1.7g

I've seen the Light.

That's Cooking Light. I was extremely frustrated with the taste and directions by the Weight Watchers App. Their recipes are not as tasteful as I wished. I want food that is tasty but health. Their motto is "Making healthy taste great." I was inspired to check out Cooking Light by my friend Kait. Her blog (I Can Cook That) is about cooking for yourself and she uses TONS of recipes from that website. I downloaded the Cooking Light App and began to build my menu. I am also trying to stay away from red meat so I decided to go with shrimp. If you have ever deveined a shrimp...you understand the carnage that as on my counter. I decided to go with a Shrimp and Sausage Stew.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 cup thinly sliced turkey smoked sausage (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (such as Rotel)
8 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 I used SWEET Italian sausage and I used diced tomatoes with SWEET ONIONS. I did this only because of availability. I bought fresh white shrimp from Florida and local grown bell pepper. I am making an effort to buy locally grown produce. I'm not perfect but I'm working on it.


Directions

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add bell pepper, sausage, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until bell pepper is tender, stirring occasionally. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Stir in shrimp and beans; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with parsley.

This was INSANELY delicious. You can add whatever spices you want to add. In fact, I say don't. I think it had plenty of flavor but obviously it's your tastes. You can add any Creole seasoning which would really spice it up.

One serving of this is 5 points. Here are the nutritional facts.

Calories: 191
Fat: 6g
Saturated fat: 1.7g
Monounsaturated fat: 2.7g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1g
Protein: 21.3g
Carbohydrate: 13.2g
Fiber: 3.5g

Make your healthy taste great people. You don't have to sacrifice everything. You can eat well and have taste too.

Holidays are an excuse to eat your face off.

No they are not. You do not have an excuse to eat your face off unless you're sitting at your last meal on death row. Even then...not really necessary. This holiday weekend is a test for anyone trying to be good. Alcohol, hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, ice cream. All things we love in America. All things that are bad for us. But maybe..there's HOPE!
1. If you're eating a hamburger: A. No cheese B. No bun C. No fun. Sorry. That's the reality. You can always add avocado and tomatoes to the burger along with spices. Try Old Bay. This West coast gal did not grow up on this lovely mixture but now that I am dating a kid from the Eastern Shore  of MD, I have no choice but to include Old Bay in every meal.

2. If you want to relive college this weekend: Drink LIGHT beers. Yes. I said it. I already told you about Skinny Girl Margaritas but Coors, Miller, Becks, and any other light are usually 1 point per 12 oz (which is generally a can). MOST of these beers are under 10 g of Carbs per can but it's always important to check the label before you start your marathon. Cooking Light has a great little article about light beers and which are the best! Check it out and you might try something new!

3. If you are drinking always remember: 1. You don't have to eat while you are drinking. In fact, it's always the beer that makes you gain weight, it's all the shit you eat while you're drinking. Think back to your latest Happy Hour. Besides your drink, what else was on your table? Nachos? Sliders? Something that died and is now fried? 2. Moderation is always important for both yourself and your friends. No one likes the drunken asshole. It's NOT A RACE...it's a marathon.

Above all else, enjoy your weekend. The Fourth is about the independence of our great nation. The freedoms we enjoy. This is Amerikah so go out and celebrate!

GREAT NEWS.

I DID NOT GAIN WEIGHT ON VACATION! And I ate everything. BBQ, biscuits and gravy, ice cream, pizza, sweets, alcohol (not a lot but the good kinds with a lot of points). But here's the key, we walked everywhere. We rarely took the car if we were within 2 miles. We walked everywhere because it was beautiful outside. This is true of European lifestyle as well. They walk everywhere because they can. Guess what? I live in a "city" with everything within walking distance minus my gym. I have a grocery store, coffee shops, and salon. I am committed to walking where I can walk. I did this in France and I lost 45 pounds. I can even WALK TO MY BOYFRIEND'S HOUSE! No need to drive my car. Plus I'll save gas!
Nashville Walking Shoes

That GOOD alcohol I was talking about. Yazoo Brewery. So good. So deadly.

The greatest thing about getting out there and walking is sometimes you find things you never expected. I remember when I would walk to school, I would always find something different about Paris. I found a church built in 1465 right in the middle of my neighborhood. I would run into a fashion shoot for Vogue France. It's eye opening when you take a second and look around.

My name is Katie Kemmerer...

And I have confession. Before I get to the point, I want to say this. We all lie to ourselves about something. Whether it's money, a relationship, work, or family. Any way you spin it, it's a lie. I've lied to myself the past 26 years. I am over indulgent, an over eater, and over the top. So here's the actual shocker (not really), I DID NOT LOSE ANY WEIGHT! Ha! You thought I was going to say something sweet. Nope. I didn't lose any weight. Why? Well I just told you why. I over eat, over indulge and have NO self control when it comes to food. This is why I need to reteach myself how to eat. This is why I blog. It keeps my honest. If I say it out loud, it makes it real. No Katie, you did not lose any weight. Did I have a great time? YES. Does it feel as good as wearing a size smaller. NO. It's hard to admit you're failing. But like the great Yogi Berra said, "It ain't over until it's over." Truly poetic. Listen, I'm a positive person. Positive energy equals positive outcome. This is a life style change and not an over night fix. As long as I keep this in mind, I will see results. Hang in there with me. I'm off to Nashville tomorrow for a small vacation which is going to be rough on the diet. Regardless, I will move forward.

<Insert picture of me surrounded by cookies, wine,  chips and gauc, and feeling sorry for myself>

<Insert picture of me give the aforementioned items the middle finger in my size 10 jeans again>

Tossing your salad. Get your mind out of the gutter.

Do you suffer from unused fruit and vegetables? Are you throwing away HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS every week? Do you want to turn in frig into SOLID GOLD?
Okay I don't have those answers but I do have a solution that is so simple you're going to punch yourself in the face (don't do it).
FRUIT SALAD! YAY!
I buy all this stuff in the beginning of the week with the intent of eating all of it. Nope. Not gonna happen. Instead of throwing it all away, toss a little salad together. My dad used to make us fruit salads with mangos, pineapples, grapes, etc. It's so simple and you can take it anywhere! Do NOT be afraid to cut into a pineapple or melon. It's intuitive. You know how to do...SO DO IT!

My fruit salad was all my blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and honeydew. Booyah.

The key to losing weight is...

Making food taste good (thank you Kait Lunny). This is so true. You must make your food taste good and satisfying otherwise you will leave your meals wanting more. In my case, I want more of everything. EVERYTHING. We were BBQing on Thursday with chicken and I didn't want just the usual. My friend Kait busted out Food & Wine magazine with a list of marinates that I could use for the chicken. I went with a very simple marinate that I unfornuately do not remember the exactly proportions.
Here is what is in it:

Curry, oregano, salt, minced garlic, white vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, and chili powder.

I let it sit for about an hour but next time I will let it sit over night and use less oregano. The philosophy of making your food taste good seems entirely too simple. That's because it is. You have to eat things you like in order to maintain/lose weight. There are simple and lite ways to make your food taste good. Keep this in mind next time you grill!

i LOVE alcohol.

No I don't have a problem but I do enjoy a drink. When I lived in France, I would drink bottles (with an s) of wine and I still lost about 40 pounds while I was there. How?!?! Why!??! Well, when you are walking everywhere for miles and miles, you tend to lose weight. It is true, French women don't get fat. They don't get fat because their food is ALL NATURAL and their meals are PORTIONED small and satisfying. There is nothing they hiding from us, they just know how to live.
I've been struggling to find a drink that is guilt free and satisfying at the same time. My mom mentioned Skinny Girl Margarita as being low cal and low carb. I bought one bottle...the next day I went back and bought 2 more bottles. It's 0 points for 1.5 fl oz which means it's 1 point for 8 fl oz. GAME THE F ON.
I wish Bethanny would pay me for this blog but it's just me trying to spread the word to my sistas who want to drink and not feel so guilty.

I'm telling you ladies, you can add lime or fruit to it but it comes with the tequila already in it so you're golden. ENJOY!!!!