Pretty Little Pantry

Italian Stuffed Artichokes

2014-12-08T11:33:00.003-08:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and stress free Black Friday. I enjoyed time with my family and ate far too much and then Friday I went to the tree lot and got a gorgeous 8ft tree for my living room. Unfortunately, now it's back to reality. I just gave my two Corgis baths, which was exhausting and near impossible to wrangle those two into the bathroom. Now they are sadly staring at me while being locked up in the kitchen so that they can dry off. As my reward for all my hard work I'm going to eat the last stuffed artichoke I saved.

My all time favorite Thanksgiving food has always been stuffed artichokes. I love them and my grandma makes them every year for big holidays. Unfortunately this year I am 3,000 miles away in California and I had to make them myself. After talking to her many times about the recipe I got it down pat and was able to make them for Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

1 (oz.) Can of Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs

3 Cloves of Garlic

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil

5 Artichokes

Other great things to add to the stuffing: fresh parsley, mushrooms (I would have loved adding some mushrooms but Brian doesn't like them), mozzarella cheese, and/or nuts.

Start by cleaning and cutting the artichoke.

Cut the stem so that it can sit flat in the pot. Cut the points off of all of the leaves. Then rinse the artichoke and bang it upside down so that you get the dirt all the way down at the bottom, it will also open it up so that you can stuff it more.

In a large bowl mix the bread crumbs, the Parmesan cheese, the garlic cloves, and the basil.

Add just a bit of olive oil so that the bread crumbs are moist.

Then spoon into each leaf of the artichoke with a spoon.

Spread the center of the artichoke open and stuff with bread crumbs.

Put the artichokes in a large pasta pot and drizzle with a little olive oil.

Make sure that the pot has about 2-2.5 inches of water (about 1 1/2 cups) at the bottom at all times so that they don't burn.

Cook for about an hour or until a leaf comes off easily when pulled.

I love stuffed artichokes. When I went to Italy last year artichokes were everywhere my absolute favorite were in the Roman Jewish Ghetto. They were deep fried in Olive oil, and garlic.

It was heavenly.

Skinny Mini Pumpkin Cream Pies

2014-11-26T17:55:00.001-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving Eve! And hello all my fellow last minute Thanksgiving preppers. I love the day before Thanksgiving. Prepping all the food and making all the things that can be made ahead of time. Last night I made these quick pies to take to work and share with all the others that were stuck working today. The office was pretty empty today so I got out early today and headed over to Target to pick up all the last minute things I needed. I always seem to forget something. I wanted to share with you a super quick and super easy skinny mini pumpkin cream pie recipe in case you might have forgotten to bring something. My grandma, never the one to go to anything empty handed, makes chocolate cream pie as a last minute go to. Cream pies have got to be the easiest dessert to make. It's just pudding mix, whip cream, and pie crust.

Ingredients

1 package Jello Pumpkin Pie Spice Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

2 cups skim milk

1 1/2 cup fat free cool whip

12 Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust (2 packages)

I found this delicious pumpkin spice pudding mix on the thanksgiving display. You know that section they put together to make shopping for holiday baking or cooking easier.

Follow the pudding mix directions by mixing with 2 cups of skim milk.

Once it's all mixed together fold in the Cool Whip. (BTW if you have the Target Cartwheel app they have a coupon for Cool Whip right now).

Pour the mixture into the mini graham crack pie crusts and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

For only 159 calories these mini pies are amazing. I mean a traditional slice of pumpkin pie has over 300 calories but if you are still craving that custard-y pie texture you could always make my crustless pumpkin pie.
I got rave reviews for these pies. In fact I had people try one and then end up taking one home for later because they loved it so much.

What is your favorite easy pie recipe?

Serving Size 1 Mini Pie (makes 12 pies)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 159

Calories from Fat 41

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.5g

Saturated Fat 3.0g

15%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 1mg

Sodium 245mg

10%

Potassium 63mg

Total Carbohydrates 25.4g

Sugars 13.8g

Protein 2.3g

Vitamin A 2%	•	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 5%	•	Iron 2%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Clean Eating Banana Bread

2014-11-24T19:52:00.002-08:00

Who doesn't love banana bread? I know that everytime I look over at the fruit bowl on my kitchen table and see the bananas getting a little brown I get excited that I can finally make another batch of banana bread. Is that weird? I'm sure I'm not the only one that thinks like this. I mean banana bread is amazing and tasty and it's hard to mess up.

For years I have been making the traditional Southern Living Banana Bread recipe that I found in my mom's cookbook in high school. I have been experimenting with recipes to make it lower calorie and cleaner. I have finally found a recipe that tastes so good it tricked everyone who tried it. There's no sugar, no oil, and no guilt. This recipe is a little similar to my pumpkin spice bread recipe but even cleaner.

Please pardon my chipped nail polish I skipped doing my nails this weekend because I'm getting my nails done before Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

3 large bananas

2 egg whites

2 tbsp Light butter spread (I use Brummel and Brown with Yogurt)

3 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Put the bananas and the other wet ingredients in a bowl and mash until smooth.

In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until all mixed together.

Pour into the loaf pan or muffin tin and cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

It comes out this gorgeous light golden color.

Okay, well now this has made me hungry. I'm off to go toast up a slice and spread on some Laughing Cow Cinnamon Cream Cheese. Oh. My. Gosh. sooo good!

Serving Size 1 Slice (Loaf makes 10 slices)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 135

Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 3.0g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 79mg

Potassium 267mg

Total Carbohydrates 24.9g

Dietary Fiber 1.8g

Sugars 10.2g

Protein 3.2g

Vitamin A 2%	•	Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 4%	•	Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade C+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Healthy, Happy Gifts for Fitness Friends

2014-11-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

My favorite time of the year is just around the corner and I have already started Christmas shopping. I have been brainstorming gift ideas for a while now and I have come up with some really great ideas for gifts that promote a healthy lifestyle. I think these gifts are not only good for those fitness junkies but also those who are a little intimated by the thought of getting fit or living healthier.

1. Hamilton Beach Personal Blender with Travel Lid - $14.85

A really great gift for those on the go. I love this for making quick and easy smoothies at work or on a road trip in a hotel.

2. Groupon
Don't forget to check Groupon for some really awesome activities that could be given as gifts. There's the typical things such as yoga or kickboxing classes and there's even out-of-the-box ideas like self-defense lessons or backpacking trips.

3. Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer - $12.13
My new favorite kitchen tool. Veggetti spins vegetables into long pieces of spaghetti. I've used it for the typical zucchini but also for butternut squash. It makes a really great gift for those trying to cut back the calories or just love experimenting in the kitchen.

4. Fun Gym Tanks
Do you have a bestie that you workout with or just a good gym buddy? Funny and sarcastic tank tops are an awesome gift for any of the above. I am in love with these Mean Girls Quote Tank Tops It's hard to go wrong with anything Mean Girls related.

5. Nalgene BPA-Free Water Bottle - $9.97
Who doesn't love a reusable water bottle? Nalgene water bottles are my favorite because they have the wide mouth that you can fill with ice. They also come in tons of awesome colors! If you want to go the extra mile you can get a vinyl monogram from Etsy ($5) to personalize the gift.

6. Fitbit Zip - $47.94

My favorite gift to give or get is a Fitbit. The Zip is the cheapest but does what most of the other Fitbits can; it's not only a pedometer but also tracks calories burned, miles, and distance. It syncs to other fitness apps like MyFitnessPal to help achieve weighloss goals. I love giving the Fitbit as gifts because you can compete with your friends and family to see who walked the most that day or week, turning it into a fun little competition.

What healthy, active presents are you asking Santa for this year?

Being Healthy at the Movies

2014-10-12T10:47:00.002-07:00

It's hard staying on track especially when I'm going out with friends. A couple days ago I went to go see Annabelle, which by the way was SUPER freakin' scary. I wanted to stay on track so I packed my own snacks and a big bottle of water.

I brought my bottle of water and a packet of Crystal Light just in case. I also brought a mini bag of Boom Chicka Pop and a little bag of organic gummy bears. I'm a gummy bear addict and these ones by YumEarth Organics are super yummy.

I've gotta say if you like horror movies Annabelle is a must see. I'm a bit of a horror movie junkie and Annabelle is one of the scariest movies I've ever seen. I haven't been this scared in theaters since I saw Paranormal Activity the first time and Annabelle is probably 100x scarier than Paranormal Activity.

Homemade Egg White Delight

2014-10-04T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm back!!! And hopefully for good this time. Quick catch up since it's been months since I've posted anything. The company I was working for closed down and it got me into a bit of a rut and I was too stressed being out of work to count calories and diet and I kind of fell off the wagon but I'm back. I have a really great job at an accounting firm and I'm ready to get back in this.

I have a terrible habit of running late for work. When I notice that I'm running late and ran out of time to make breakfast I end up stopping at the McDonald's on the way and picking up an Egg White Delight. It's only 250 calories and its super tasty but it's probably not all that great for me or my wallet. So I decided that I would go ahead and make a few of my own and stick them in the freezer. Whenever I am running a bit late I'll take one from the freezer, stick it in my bag and heat it up in the microwave at work. After the egg was done I placed the three slices of ham on the hot skillet and let them fry up a bit.

Ingredients:

1 light whole grain English muffin

2 large egg whites

1 mini Babybel light cheese

3 slices thin sliced lean smoked ham

I just threw the English muffin in the toaster oven and while it was toasting I fried up the egg in Pam. While the egg was cooking I rolled out the Babybel so that it was fat and large enough to fit on my sandwich.

For the rest of the sandwiches I just wrapped them in aluminum foil and placed them in the freezer. So now whenever I'm running late I can just grab one and take it to work. All I have to do now is unwrap the sandwich and place it in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Serving Size 204 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

220

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

5.7g

Saturated Fat

2.6g

13%

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

45mg

15%

Sodium

1128mg

47%

Potassium

108mg

Total Carbohydrates

25.4g

Dietary Fiber

8.0g

32%

Sugars

0.9g

Protein

19.6g

Vitamin A 6%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 35%	•	Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Almond Joy Oatmeal

2014-02-05T13:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting a lot because I've been in a bit of a funk. I've been having a hard time staying motivated lately and seem to be sabotaging myself every weekend. It's time to kick it into high gear and stop with the junk food.

I had fallen in love with the Almond Joy Smoothie had been drinking it for breakfast a lot until it got really cold. (Definitely not nearly as cold as the east coast though). I thought I would throw together an Almond Joy Oatmeal to keep me warm and happy. I've been adding flax seed to my oatmeal every morning and I love what it does to the texture of the oatmeal. It also really keeps me full longer.

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Oatmeal (1-minute, quick cooking oats)

2 tbsp ground flax seed

1/2 Cup Water

2 tbsp Sweetened Coconut flakes

1 tbsp dark Chocolate Chips

10 raw almonds

sweetener optional

In a bowl mix the dry oats with the 2 tbsp ground flax. Add the water and microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir and top with the remaining ingredients.

Serving Size 1

Amount Per Serving

Calories 295

Calories from Fat 161

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 17.9g

28%

Saturated Fat 6.4g

32%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 46mg

Total Carbohydrates 22.9g

Dietary Fiber 9.2g

37%

Sugars 9.7g

Protein 10.1g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 8%	•	Iron 11%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

My Latest Addiction

2014-01-27T09:44:00.003-08:00

I'm totally hooked on this Chopped Buffalo Chicken Salad at Subway. I've had it 2 days in a row and I actually want to get it again for lunch today.

It's only 130 calories and 21g protein!! The sodium is pretty high at 700mg though, so maybe I shouldn't be having it every day but it tastes so good!

Getting Back On Track

2014-01-21T11:02:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted in over a month and I have about a million excuses but I still feel really guilty. Back in the beginning of December I had finals that I was studying for and I started stress snacking. I know, I know I could have been snacking on good nutritious things but I sabotaged myself. BUT I will have you know that I did get all A's this past semester :)

After finals it was the holidays and I love holiday treats. My holidays consisted of a smorgasbord of healthy nutritious foods and homemade sugary treats and of course copious amount of Champagne. My workout schedule dwindled down to nothing and now it's time to get back in the game.

For the past 2 weeks I have slowly been fixing my eating and going to the gym at least 30 minutes each day.

Here are a couple of things I was eating last week. (top left to bottom right) 1.Cranberry walnut salad with feta, 2. Jimmy Dean's Breakfast Delights with the egg removed and two clementines, 3. grilled chicken and cheese quesadilla with grape tomatoes and cilantro, 4. brown rice with black beans, corn, and grilled chicken topped with guacamole, 5. cucumber and hummus.

It's been difficult to get back on track and I am constantly forgetting my lunch at home and having to improvise with what I have at work but I'm slowly getting back to where I was before.

It's just a good reminded to always stay focused because it's harder to start back up than to just keep going.

Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride

2013-12-06T10:26:00.000-08:00

I love Christmastime! But it's tricky staying healthy during the holidays because there are soooo many treats everywhere! I wanted to share this really great tea I found at the grocery store the other day. It's Celestial Seasonings Sugar Cooke Sleigh Ride. It's delicious! It doesn't quite taste like a sugar cookie but it does help when I have a sweets craving and can't afford to actually have sugar cookies.

What is your trick to avoiding too many holiday treats?

Mini Coconut Donuts

2013-12-04T16:48:00.000-08:00

Well Hanukkah is coming to an end this year. As some of you may know my family celebrates Christmukkah, which was a little tricky this year since it landed on Thanksgiving creating a Thanksgivukkah conundrum. I hope every one enjoyed this wonderful holiday, I know I sure did. I got a ton of baking utensils and an apron for gifts this year. A key ingredient in celebrating Hanukkah is cooking with oil. Unfortunately for me I cannot eat obscene amounts of fried foods or I will blow up like a puffer fish and gain like 10 lbs in one week. No thanks! (Although I definitely had my share of latkes) So decided to try to make baked coconut donuts, since donuts are a common Hanukkah tradition and I love them.

I don't mean to toot my own horn or anything but these are AMAZING! I will be making these every weekend for the foreseeable future. Before they were even gone I was asked to make them again. I love these donuts! And the best part is that each one is only 55 calories each.

Now, if you were to fry these up I would love to try them in coconut oil. I bet they would be heavenly.

I bought a mini donuts pan from Bed, Bath & Beyond but I think these would also work in a cake pop pan as "donut holes".

This recipe makes 24 mini donuts.

Donuts Ingredients:

1 Cup Unbleached Flour

1/3 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Pinch Salt

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1 Yo-plait Greek 100 Calories Vanilla Yogurt Cup (or 5.5 oz of Non-fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt)

2.6 oz Unsweetened Almond Milk

2 tbsp Light Buttery Spread

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Coconut Extract

Icing Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

2 tsp water

1/4 Cup Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Mix all the dry ingredients (Flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt) in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients (egg, yogurt, milk, vanilla extract, and coconut extract). I dumped all of the wet ingredients into my blender because it was easier and I got a very smooth consistency without my arm going numb from stirring like a mad woman.

Create a well in the bowl of dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir until all are evenly mixed. It will be lumpy.

Pour the mixture into the donut pan 1/2-3/4 of the way to the top.

Place pan in a 425 degree preheated oven for 5-10 minutes until they have puffed up and are golden brown.

Place the donuts on a cooling rack to cool evenly.

While the donuts are in the oven I took that time to make the icing.

Take all of the icing ingredients (Powdered sugar, water, and vanilla extract) except the coconut and stir until smooth.

I created a little conveyor belt with the icing in one bowl, the shredded coconut in another and a baking mat at the end.

Dip the donut face down first in the icing then the coconut and then place on the baking mat to settle.

I am definitely going to be making variations of this recipe in the future. I think up next will be chocolate donuts.

What is your favorite kind of donut?

Serving Size 1 donut **Make 24 donuts**

Amount Per Serving

Calories 55

Calories from Fat 13

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.4g

Saturated Fat 0.9g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 7mg

Sodium 26mg

Total Carbohydrates 8.8g

Sugars 4.2g

Protein 1.4g

Vitamin A 1%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 2%	•	Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade C-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

How to Survive Thanksgiving

2013-11-27T10:16:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays! Food, family, friends, what more could you ask for? But it can be hard to stay healthy on a day that revolves around food. I thought I'd share my tips for surviving Thanksgiving.

Remember to eat breakfast. I know it may seem like a good idea to wait until dinner to eat but by the time dinner comes you're starving and will eat everything. I plan on having pumpkin pie oatmeal for breakfast so that I can handle the rest of the day without going crazy at dinner time.
Help with the cooking. If you can help cook than you should totally do it. When you're in the kitchen you will not only know what's going into the food but you may also have some say in making things healthier.
Make a dish. To ensure that there are going to be healthy options I plan on making sauteed green beans. I'm also going to throw together a salad. This way I know I have something healthy to eat and I won't be entirely filling up on mash potatoes and stuffing.
Stick with the turkey breast. If your family is like mine we typically have several meat options, turkey, ham, roast beef. Try to stick with the turkey breast and remove the skin (the skin is the best part! but that's where most of the fat and calories hide).
Eat dessert. Don't deprive yourself of dessert. Grab a slice of pie and enjoy. I will be enjoying my crust-less pumpkin pie with a huge dollop of whip cream.
Play Football. I've heard a lot of families play football after dinner. My family doesn't do this awesome tradition but I think this is a great year to start. It doesn't matter how many people you can gather to play as long as you can get outside and run around for a bit.
Bonus tip! A friend gave me great advice a couple years ago about how to handle those AWFUL personal questions that family always seems to ask during the holidays. When are you graduating?, Do you have a boyfriend?... Respond to their question with a question. Relatives love to tell stories about when they were younger so if your aunt asks you about your last date turn it around and ask her about her best or worst date when she was your age. It works every time.

Happy Thanksgiving ya'll!

Do you have any tips for surviving Thanksgiving?

Crust-less Pumpkin Pie

2013-11-26T10:45:00.000-08:00

We are only two days away from Thanksgiving!! I am so excited! I love Thanksgiving so much. Probably because I love cooking and spending time with family. One of the most important things about Thanksgiving is the tradition. My family has so many traditions for Thanksgiving. We always make stuffed artichokes (recipe to come soon!), and we always share our blessings of the year with each other, I always watch the parade as soon as it starts in the morning (my FAVORITE part is the little bits of the Broadway musicals they show first thing in the morning), and of course we ALWAYS have pumpkin pie.

This year I thought I would try and make traditional pumpkin pie lighter since pumpkin itself it actually very good for you. Although we will also have the full fat version it's nice to have the option of a lighter version. I know that I will probably only eat this lighter version because it rocks! If you like a custardy pumpkin pie you will love this crust-less pumpkin pie too!

It's also SUPER simple! Just dump the following ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together until smooth.

Ingredients:

15 oz. can Libby's Pumpkin Puree

12 oz. can Fat Free Evaporated Milk

4 Large Egg Whites

2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

10 packets Splenda*

Pour into a pie pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.

Once the sides are golden brown take a tooth pick and insert it in the middle of the pie. If the toothpick comes out clean the pie is done. Take it out and let it cool completely so that it can set.

* I used Splenda but you really could use any sweetener of choice. If you are trying to eat clean I would suggest maple syrup in place of the Splenda.

What is your favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving?

Serving Size 1 slice (Pie makes 8 slices)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 62

Calories from Fat 4

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 0.4g

Cholesterol 2mg

Sodium 79mg

Total Carbohydrates 11.7g

Dietary Fiber 4.7g

19%

Sugars 6.8g

Protein 5.9g

Vitamin A 134%	•	Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 14%	•	Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pumpkin Spice Bread

2013-11-11T11:27:00.001-08:00

If you haven't noticed yet, I love pumpkin. I could eat pumpkin flavored anything. I also really loved baked goods. Pumpkin Spice Bread is one of my favorite Fall treats. This recipe is great because its lower in calories than a traditional spice loaf but the taste is still amazing.

I was really craving Pumpkin Spice Bread yesterday afternoon so I started searching for a recipe that would satisfy my craving and not ruin my day with fat and calories. Thanks to Ruth at Living Well Spending Less I used her recipe. I made a few simple tweaks and I will be enjoying pumpkin bread for the rest of the week.

Ingredients:

6 cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

5 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

5 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups banana, mashed

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1 1/3 cups Unsweetened Silk Almond Milk

2 cans pumpkin puree

1. Take all of the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin pie spice) and mix them in a very large bowl.

2. In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients (eggs, sugar, mashed banana, vanilla, melted coconut oil, almond milk, and pumpkin).

3. Once liquid ingredients are mixed pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until fully incorporated.

4. Pour mixture into loaf pans. I used a pan that makes 4 mini loaves. I also sprinkled a little pinch of pumpkin pie spice over the tops of them before popping them in a 350 degree preheated oven.

5. Baked for 45-60 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in the middle of a loaf comes out clean.

Enjoy a slice toasted with butter or just by itself. I like to mine with a little honey drizzled on it.

What kind of breads do you make in the fall? I also like cranberry bread.

Serving Size 1 slice

**Recipe makes 64 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 88

Calories from Fat 15

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.7g

Saturated Fat 1.1g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 13mg

Sodium 143mg

Total Carbohydrates 16.6g

Dietary Fiber 0.6g

Sugars 6.9g

Protein 1.8g

Vitamin A 9%	•	Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 3%	•	Iron 4%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Evolution Fresh - Sweet Green with Lime

2013-11-05T10:37:00.000-08:00

I hope ya'll had a wonderful Halloween weekend! I definitely did!

For my Halloween party I dressed up as one of the PNK monsters from Monsters University.

I had so much fun but unfortunately I didn't eat all that great this past weekend. But this week I'm back on track and will push myself to throw in a couple extra workouts throughout the week to make up for it.

My new favorite mid-afternoon snack is Evolution Fresh - Sweet Green with Lime. It tastes amazing. Thanks to their awesome and detailed ingredients list its easy to replicate if you have a juicer. If you check out their website they also have a lot of other recipes for tasty and healthy juices.

Check out these awesome ingredients.

Celery

6 3/4 stalk
Apple

3/4
Cucumber

1/5
Spinach

2 leaves
Parsley

snip
Romaine

3/4 leaves
Kale

1/2 leaves
Lemon

squeeze
Lime

squeeze
Parsley

snip
Wheat Grass

38 blades
Clover sprouts

snip

SerVING SIZE 8 FL OZ (240 ML)

SERVINGS PER CONTAINER ABOUT 2

Amount per serving	% Daily value*
Calories	50
Calories from fat	0

Amount per serving	% Daily value*
Total fat 0g	0%
Saturated fat 0g	0%
Trans fat
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 150mg	6%
Potassium 550mg	16%

Amount per serving	% Daily value*
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 0g	0%
Sugars 10g
Protein 1g

Vitamin A	8%	Vitamin C	6%
Calcium	6%	Iron	2%

INGREDIENTS: JUICES (CELERY, APPLE, CUCUMBER, SPINACH, ROMAINE LETTUCE, KALE, LIME, LEMON, PARSLEY, WHEAT GRASS, CLOVER SPROUTS).

Source: http://www.evolutionfresh.com/en-us/juice/sweet-greens-lemon-juice

If you're not a fan of green veggies I would suggest trying another more fruity flavor but I love how healthy this one tastes plus its just slightly sweet.

50 Calorie Brownie Bites

2013-10-31T11:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I'm getting ready for my Halloween Party this weekend and was asked several times to make my brownie bites. I love these things because they are wicked easy to make. I've made these before and I swear to you that no one could tell they were low-cal.

I cannot take credit for this recipe though because it it a Hungry Girl Recipe .

It's really simple. Just two ingredients; Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix with Chocolate Chips and one can of Libby's Pumpkin (Pumpkin Puree NOT Pumpkin Pie Filling). I like the Ghirardelli mix the best because it is super chocolatey but you could make it even lower calories if you used a sugar free brownie mix.

I pinky promise to you that you do not taste the pumpkin at all. I made these for my mom a few weeks ago and she hates pumpkin and she had no idea they were made with pumpkin. The chocolate completely masks the pumpkin.

The pumpkin also makes these brownies much healthier than the regular egg and oil recipe. According to the National Cancer Institute, pumpkins have the antioxidant beta-carotene, which can help prevent cancer. Pumpkin is also loaded with Potassium. So if you needed an excuse to eat brownies there ya go!

Following the directions on the box of Brownie mix I set the oven to 325.

Just mix both ingredients in a large bowl until smooth.

Then drop a heaping Tbsp of the batter into a greased mini muffin pan. I used a mini muffin pan but you could also use a brownie pan and just cut them into small squares.

Before placing in the preheated oven I measured out 2 tsp of sprinkles and sprinkled a little on each little brownie.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Take them out and let them cool.

I like them best warm, my mom likes them when they are frozen. Really they are good no matter what AND they are ONLY 50 calories each!

Yay! for low-cal chocolate treats!! :)

Today at work I wore a little witches hat.

What are you wearing today for Halloween?

Serving Size 23 g (1 brownie bite)

Amount Per Serving

Calories50

Calories from Fat17

% Daily Value*

Total Fat1.9g

Trans Fat0.0g

Cholesterol0mg

Sodium39mg

Total Carbohydrates10.5g

Protein0.7g

Vitamin A 25%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%	•	Iron 2%

Nutrition Grade C+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Makes 48 Brownie Bites!

Almond Joy Protein Smoothie

2013-10-29T10:50:00.002-07:00

Happy Halloween Week!!

I love Halloween! It is such a fun excuse to have a themed party and eat candy! My favorite candy growing up was always Almond Joys. I would trade anything in my bag for a few Almond Joys.

The sad and unfortunate truth about Almond Joy is that one Fun Size Almond Joy has 80 calories and 4.5g of fat. Well, I have absolutely no self control when it comes to Almond Joy and I don't know about you but I would definitely eat more than just one.

This morning I decided to treat myself to an Almond Joy Protein Smoothie. Chocolate candy for breakfast! Except that this chocolate candy has 17g of protein and kept me going without a sugar crash.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 Medium Banana

1/2 Scoop Whey Protein Chocolate

1 Tbsp Coconut

1/2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seeds

1 Tbsp Chocolate PB2

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

1 Heaping Handful of Ice

Optional Add-ins: Coconut oil, Chia seeds, and/or Spinach.

Like with all smoothie recipes just dump everything into the blender. Then blend until really smooth.

Top it off with a couple almonds and an extra tsp of shredded coconut. It tastes EXACTLY like an Almond Joy and it was the perfect treat for a healthy Halloween treat.

What's your favorite Halloween candy? Do you think it would make a good smoothie?

Serving Size (recipe makes one serving)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 221

Calories from Fat 59

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6.6g

10%

Saturated Fat 3.2g

16%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 35mg

12%

Sodium 226mg

Total Carbohydrates 23.8g

Dietary Fiber 4.0g

16%

Sugars 13.5g

Protein 17.4g

Vitamin A 6%	•	Vitamin C 9%
Calcium 31%	•	Iron 6%

Nutrition Grade C

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

October Before & After

2013-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post for today. I was going through my iPad photos earlier today looking for pictures of Halloween last year and I found this picture and thought "Wow! I don't remember being that big." I thought it would be a good picture to do a before and after. I just snapped a picture of me to compare and I think there is a pretty noticeable difference. (My hair is definitely not as cute as my before but whatevs).

It hasn't been the fastest journey ever but I'm working at it every day and I am so happy and so much healthier.

Blueberry Pie Oatmeal

2013-10-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

I have become OBSESSED with oatmeal. I was not normally a fan of oatmeal growing up. I used to think that oatmeal was just those little packets you add water to and microwave. I would typically just eat Maple & Brown Sugar flavored and get bored of it quick. But I finally came to my senses and decided to make it myself, on the stove top. I am so happy that I did.

I bought a big bag of frozen blueberries when I was grocery shopping last weekend and thought a blueberry oatmeal would be delicious. The secret weapon of this recipe is Wilton's Butter Flavor, it creates that buttery crust taste, without the calories! Which is exactly what I needed for a Blueberry Pie Oatmeal.

Ingredients

1/3 cup Quaker Oatmeal

1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 tsp Wilton Butter Flavor

1/4 cup Blueberries

2 packets Zero Calorie Sweetener (Or Sweetener of Choice)

1 tbsp Fat Free Cool Whip

I began by dumping the almond milk and dry oats into a sauce pan and turning the heat up to medium.

Once it comes to a low boil I add the blueberries, vanilla extract, butter flavor, sweetener of choice and cinnamon.

Stir it up and let it sit for another minute. Then take it off the heat and allow it to cool.

Top with Cool Whip and a few extra blueberries and enjoy!

What do you add to your oatmeal in the morning?

Serving Size 313 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

173

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

4.6g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

0mg

Sodium

183mg

Total Carbohydrates

27.2g

Dietary Fiber

5.2g

21%

Sugars

5.3g

Protein

4.7g

Vitamin A 10%	•	Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 46%	•	Iron 12%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What's New!

2013-10-21T11:36:00.001-07:00

October is almost over and I have not been posting nearly enough. I just wanted to share with ya'll what I've been up too and what I've been eating lately.

I have become addicted to the grilled shrimp tacos from Wahoo's. 146 calories for one taco and another 100 calories for a side of guacamole. The best thing about the tacos is that one taco comes with two corn tortillas so I always separate them and make one taco into two tacos!

My snack drawer in my desk at work. It is definitely looking healthier in here. Apples, oranges, banana, carrots, celery, grape tomatoes, Luna bars, Sun Chips, and my peanut butter and banana sandwich in the Tupperware.

My current favorite blog (www.gosupersisters.com) has these AWESOME monthly workout/goal calendars that I am in love with!

What have you been doing to keep healthy this month?

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2013-10-08T10:01:00.004-07:00

Pumpkins are pretty much my favorite thing on earth. I'm totally not over exaggerating. Besides all the wonderful pumpkin flavored food out there, pumpkin seeds are a fantastic snack. This past weekend we carved pumpkins and I made sure everyone saved their seeds so that I could roast them up.

While carving the pumpkins we just tossed the pumpkin seeds in a large bowl removing as much fleshy pumpkin pulp as possible.

1. Rinse the pumpkin seeds well.

2. Place on a baking sheet and let them dry over night. I let mine dry for almost 24 hours and they came out perfect.

3. Spray them with a generous coating of cooking spray and place them in a 250 degree F preheated oven for an hour. About every 15 minutes stir them around so that the seeds around the outside of the tray make their way to the middle of the tray.

4. When they are golden brown spray them one more time with cooking spray and sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of salt over them. Bake for an additional 5 minutes then remove them from the oven and let them cool.

Pumpkin seeds make an awesome snack but I also love to top my salads with them. I also saw a really great recipe on Pinterest for Pumpkin Seed Hummus.

How do you like to eat pumpkin seeds?

Serving Size 1/4 Cup

Amount Per Serving

Calories 81

Calories from Fat 59

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6.6g

10%

Saturated Fat 1.2g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 152mg

Total Carbohydrates 1.5g

Dietary Fiber 0.5g

Protein 4.0g

Vitamin A 0%	•	Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 0%	•	Iron 10%

Nutrition Grade D+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal

2013-10-03T13:34:00.001-07:00

It's finally Fall ya'll! You have no idea how happy I am about this! I could write an entire post about all the wonderful things about Fall but I will spare you and just simply say PUMPKIN! If you don't like pumpkin you're wrong. Pumpkin is delicious in everything. Including this delicious pumpkin pie oatmeal that I have been making all week for breakfast (and once for dinner).

When it start getting chilly out oatmeal is the best breakfast. It sticks to your bones and warms you right up. And then when you add pumpkin it's like a home run.

Ingredients:

1/3 Old Fashioned Oatmeal

1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/3 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree

1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

2 Packets of Splenda (Or 1 Tbs Sweetener of choice, like Agave or Honey )

1 Tbs Chopped Pecans

2 Tbs Fat Free Cool Whip

1. Pour almond milk and oatmeal in a sauce pan on medium heat.

2. When it starts to bubble add the pumpkin and stir it up. Let it bubble for another minute.

3. Add the vanilla extract, Splenda, and pumpkin pie spice. Let it sit on low heat for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally.

4. Take off the heat and allow it to rest for 2-3 minutes.

Top with Cool Whip and Pecans.
Enjoy!

I love to make this the night before and let it sit in the fridge to "marinate" over night.
Oh My Gosh!
Yum!

Serving Size (Recipe makes 1 serving)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 267

Calories from Fat 88

% Daily Value^*

Total Fat 9.8g

15%

Saturated Fat 1.1g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg

Sodium 190mg

Total Carbohydrates 36.3g

12%

Dietary Fiber 8.3g

33%

Sugars 5.6g

Protein 7.6g

Vitamin A 264%	•	Vitamin C 7%
Calcium 51%	•	Iron 21%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

What's your favorite pumpkin food?

Healthy Travels

2013-10-02T16:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back from vacation! I went to Florida to visit my beautiful best friend and we went to Universal Studios. I finally got to see The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If you know me, you know that I love Harry Potter. We went to Halloween Horror Nights on Thursday and Friday night and got sufficiently scared by all of the zombies. I had so much fun! I want to go back right now.

Matching cupcake temporary tattoos because we're awesome. Yes, that is a zombie in the bottom corner.

I always allow myself to go wild on vacations. No counting calories for me! I mean c'mon I'm so much more active on vacations anyways since I sit at my desk ALL day long at work. Case in point, I wore my Fitbit around the parks and racked up over 30,000 steps each day, which is almost 10 miles per day. So I will allow myself a delicious Butterbeer without any guilt.

I will never say "No" to Butterbeer!

But when it comes to flying I like to keep it clean. Since my parents live on opposite coasts (Mom's in California and Dad's in North Carolina. That's about 7 hours in the air, plus any time during a layover) I fly A LOT and the flights are always extremely long. I've gotten pretty good at packing exactly what I need on a flight so that I don't have to pay the $10+ for a box of crackers and cheese on a plane and I won't feel tired or gross when we land.

1. First, and most important, I always pack a reusable water bottle. Preferably one that has a built in filter so that you can refill it at the water fountains through out the airport. In case you didn't know, TSA does not allow you to bring a full bottle of water through security. I refuse to pay $5+ for a bottle of water at the airport and the little cups they give you on the plane are gone in a sip. Flying really dehydrates you so it is important to keep water on hand at all times.

2. Healthy snacks are key to any flight. I like to pack granola bars and prepackaged bags of almonds. Apples, Bananas, Babybel, or 100 calorie pack snacks would also be a great options.

3. Bring your own meal. A lot of people aren't aware that it is totally acceptable to bring your own meal to the airport. I love to go to the grocery store the night before a long flight and pick out a fresh prepackaged salad. Place it in a safe spot in your bag so that it doesn't get crushed and enjoy whenever you get hungry. This saves me probably over $5 since this Kale Crunch salad that I bought was about $4 and the salads at the terminals are about $10.

4. Since flying completely dries out my skin I need to bring a thick body lotion and a good lip balm. Always remember to apply generously before you board and then keep it close at hand during the flight. I absolutely hate getting off the plane with chapped lips.

5. Hand Sanitizer and Anti-Bacterial wipes are super important when flying. This may seem crazy but I feel so much better if I just wipe down my tray table before I use it. I would rather look like a germaphobe than get to my vacation destination and be sick.

And of course magazines to keep entertained during the flight. I also like to download movies to my iPad the night before just in case they don't show any on the flight.

If you do have a layover try to walk as much as you can during your time there. I know most people already have to run from one side of the airport to the other to catch their next flight but sometimes I have a layover that's 2 hours or longer and it's good to just walk and stretch my legs.

What are some of your tips for healthy travels?

Why Do Celebrations Always Equal Food?

2013-09-16T16:27:00.002-07:00

This past weekend was the my birthday! :) I had a blast but I noticed something. Why do celebrations (birthdays, graduations, or anything really) always have to be celebrated with boat loads of food and typically it's junk food and the like.

Friday night we went out to dinner to celebrate and I wanted to order a salad. I like salads but I was told that I should "stop dieting tonight and celebrate" my birthday. After going to dinner on Friday night and then going out and having a couple of drinks all I wanted to do on Saturday morning was have a bowl of Greek Yogurt with berries and then go to the gym. For some reason my family thought this meant I was punishing myself for the night before. They wanted to take me out to a big breakfast and that's awesome, breakfast is my favorite meal. But when I said "No" I was told I was being a "Party Pooper." I felt guilty so of course I caved.

Volcano Chicken at Johnny Garlic's (Spicy BBQ Chicken on a bed of garlic mash potatoes.)

As the day progressed I ended up eating even more junk. Later that evening we had a few people over and ordered pizza and bread sticks. (Mmmm carbs.)

Come Sunday I wasn't feel well at all. My stomach was upset from all the garbage and the total lack of any exercise. Now it's Monday and I'm still a bit sluggish and I actually do feel guilty for my behavior. But it really does make me wonder. Why do we have to eat poorly to celebrate an occasion? Isn't feeding our body properly a better way to celebrate, especially on a birthday.

Skinny Zucchini Parmesan

2013-08-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

My grandmother is an amazing cook. She's Italian so it's completely natural for her to make amazing food. One of my absolute favorite things she makes is her zucchini parmesan. I'm not sure whether she would applaud me or ring my neck for making one of her classic recipes a lighter. (Especially since I used jarred sauce instead of homemade. Sorry Grammy!). Her zucchini parmesan is delicious, but it's fried. She frys up her zucchini slices in olive oil, which is so very good. But it's so very bad for me. I lightened her recipe up a bit. I also made lighter bread crumbs to coat the zucchini. It was the first time I tried to make this and came out delicious.

Ingredients:

1 Large Zucchini (I used 1 very large one from a neighbors garden, I would probably use 2 is your are using the store bought kind)

4 Slices Sara Lee 45 Calorie Wheat Bread

4 Tbsp Newman's Own Light Italian Dressing

1 Jar Healthy Pasta Sauce (I used Prego Heart Smart)

2 tsp Parmesan Cheese

1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

I started with the breadcrumbs. I laid out the four slices of sandwich bread on a baking sheet and brushed each one with Italian dressing. I popped them in the oven at 350 until they were browned then I flipped them over, brushed the other side with dressing and popped them back in the oven.

Both sides should look like this. Then I crumbled them a bit with my hands and threw them in the blender.

I pulsed it in the blender until it was a crumb consistency. Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and stir in the parmesan cheese.

While the bread was toasting I started to slice up the zucchini. I made them decently large slices.

Time for the conveyor belt method. Beat the egg in one bowl and put it next to the breadcrumbs. Dip each slice of zucchini in the egg, shake off any excess, then dip in the breadcrumbs.

Place the breaded zucchini slices in a hot pan sprayed with PAM Olive Oil. After about 2-3 minutes flip them, very carefully.

Once both sides have browned and the zucchini is tender. Take them out of the pan and place them on a paper towel to collect any excess oil.

Now it's time to assemble...

I covered the bottom of a casserole dish with about 1/2 cup of the sauce. Then I placed some of the zucchini slices over it. ( I ran out of breadcrumbs for the last 2 slices of zucchini so I just fried them up with salt and pepper and stuck them on the bottom. No one will ever know the difference.)

Continue to layer sauce and zucchini slices about 3 times or until zucchini is gone, depending on the size of your casserole dish. Then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese over the top.

Cover and place in a 400 degree preheated oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, remove lid and bake for an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

I may have been too excited to eat this that I completely forgot to take a picture of it on my plate. I enjoyed it with a salad and it was a wonderful dinner.

What is your absolute favorite thing your grandmother makes?

Serving Size 1/2 cup (1/6 of recipe)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

185

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

7.9g

12%

Saturated Fat

1.7g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

30mg

10%

Sodium

650mg

27%

Total Carbohydrates

23.6g

Dietary Fiber

5.9g

24%

Sugars

13.9g

Protein

7.8g

Vitamin A 16%	•	Vitamin C 35%
Calcium 10%	•	Iron 9%

Nutrition Grade B+

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet