Thursday 1 September 2011

A New Beginning

Good morning everyone! I finally feel like my life is back in order, and everything is going the way it should be.

The wedding..
Once upon a time a boy met a girl, and they fell in love. We were married on August 13, 2011 and it was a beautiful day. It was warm, sunny, full of laughter, good times, and we got some amazing memories. I couldn't be happier!

The honeymoon..
Two days after the wedding, we were swept away to Elk Ridge Resort for a total of four days. It was relaxing, and we slept probably 75% of the time. Which means we probably needed it. I enjoyed the spa day, the mud wrap, the massage, and the facial. The walks, the food, the drinks, everything was absolutely amazing.

Back to reality..
We've been busy the past couple weeks. Harvest started the day we got back. And Daniel has been busy with that. I went back to work on Monday the 22nd, and have been busy with the new crop year ever sicne. We were supposed to get 40mm of rain last night and I was hoping for some down time with my new hubby but we didn't get any moisture at all! I'm not sure how the weatherman can be that out!

We've also decided we wanted to start trying for a baby. I've kicked myself into full gear in getting healthy again, and eating right. I've bought the "What to Expect When Your Expecting" book, and have been doing some research. I made a doctor appointment next week to go over a couple things regarding getting pregnant and for a physical. So thats my exciting news for today! I probably sound like I'm being anal about the whole thing, but like I told Daniel, I'm the one that has to carry this baby in my tummy for 9 months and I want to be ready to do that, and in tip top shape!

Anyway, back to work for me.. ta ta for now!

Saturday 20 August 2011

Wedding photos

Well the wedding is done, honeymoon is over, and I can get back to my normal life! Yay! So while I pull myself together, here are some photos. I will post later.

Wedding

honeymoon 022

Thursday 30 June 2011

Barbequed Chicken Pizza Braid

I seen this posted of foodgawker the other day. Of course, as I was making it up, I forget to add the cheese so I sprinkled it on top. Definitely should have been inside, and because we have a hard time controlling the temperature of our old BBQ, the pizza dough was burnt on the bottom and not cooked on top. Maybe I should have waited for our new BBQ to show up! Definitely was super yummy though!

IMG_0049


Barbequed Chicken Pizza Braid
Serves 2

1 can pizza dough
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1 whole yellow pepper
1 cup bbq sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat the bbq to 400 degrees.

Roll the dough into about an 11X17-inch rectangle.

Using a knife, cut 1-inch wide strips in towards the center, starting on the long sides. There should be a solid strip about 3 inches wide down the center, with the cut strips forming a fringe down each side. Spread half of the barbecue sauce down the center strip. Top with the chicken, peppers and cheese. Fold the side strips over filling, alternating strips from each side and pressing them into the dough on the opposite side, forming a braid. Pinch or twist to seal.

Transfer to a grill safe baking sheet and let rest for 15 minutes.

Bake the braid for 15-20 minutes , until golden brown and bread is baked through.

Let the braidsrest for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut braid into sections and serve warm.

Wednesday 29 June 2011

Chocolate Mug Cake

I had a super bad chocolate cake craving today at lunch. This was super yummy, not like real cake, but still super good!

IMG_0045

Chocolate Mug Cake
Serves 2

5 tbsp flour
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
Salt- a pinch
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 egg
4 tbsp milk
4 tbsp oil
Pure vanilla extract- a dash
2 microwave-safe coffee mugs

Mix all the dry ingredients in a coffee mug to make the cake.
Beat the eggs slightly in a small mixing bowl and add the rest of the wet ingredients and mix well with a fork. Add in the dry mixture and mix well. Pour out half of the batter into each coffee mug. Microwave the coffee mugs,one at a time, half- filled with the batter, on high, for a minute. If it does not get done in a minute, keep for another 20-30 seconds. Do not overcook, you might end up with a dry cake. (I kept it for 1 minute and 20seconds)
Let it cool and dig in.


Thursday 23 June 2011

Mini Rhubarb Pies

Baking 004


I've been meaning to clean up my rhubarb plants for the past couple days and I finally got around to it last night. I was going to make a Rhubarb Pie for work today, but thats kind of difficult to eat on the job. So I came up with these.

Mini Rhubarb Pies
Serves 20 / 7 Points+

20 pre-made tart shells
1 to 1½ pounds rhubarb (about 5 cups ½-inch diced)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sanding sugar or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Combine the diced rhubarb, both sugars, the cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rhubarb releases its liquid and begins to breakdown, creating a thick, chunky sauce, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spoon rhubarb filling into the center of each dough round (about 2 big spoonfuls), and place on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling bubbles a bit, 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Wednesday 22 June 2011

Something to think about

I just read a post by one of my favorite bloggers. She is a very inspirational woman, and she has a way of just bringing you in and sharing her life with you. I feel so close to her, even though I don't even know her. Her stories, her journey, had definitely not been the easiest, and today's post is a very touching one.

See post here: http://oscbb.blogspot.com/2011/06/youre-grand-old-flag.html

Please keep in mind this isn't something I like to openly talk about.
I believe in God, even though my faith hasn't always been something I turn to when I need help. Since meeting with the priest for our wedding I think its something I want to start doing.

I have been hurt, I have been told I was a waste of space. I was with an abusive, hurtful man, that lied and cheated and broke my heart over and over again. I struggle daily to get over this. I think about him, how he lied to me. I think of how I feel like I can't open up to anyone, for fear of people hurting me takes over. I trusted someone and loved someone more than they ever deserved!

I agree with Charlie one hundred percent when she says, "this is what hurts for. Its to help you grow past that person you used to be. To learn why things still hurt, and figure out the best way to heal your heart."

My journey over the past year, since we've been engaged, has been a rough one and its not one that I plan on giving up anytime soon. I am constantly looking for ways to better myself. I have taken days off work to basically lay in bed, take down my flag and fix it. I read a book, I watch movies that make me feel better, I think about my past and ways to make my life better. Last time I did this, I decided it was time to find a new job. I signed up for Early Childhood Classes that start in September and I applied for a few different jobs. If my job isn't making me happy, it needs to go.

Daniel and I have been together for over 3 years. We tend to build up walls between each other. We disagree or fight about something, we add a brick to that wall. We have been working lately to bring our walls down, talking about things brick by brick. Its been working out great for us. The last time we had a fight was about a wedding and the people at it. That was about 5 weeks ago. It took us a long time to take those bricks down. Its a touchy subject, but basically his best friends' wives are clicky and don't include me in anything. I ended up crying in the bathroom because he doesn't understand any of it and we had a fight about it. He will probably never understand because he's never been in that situation, but we talked about it and came up with a semi-solution. He can go out with his friends when they are home, but he can't expect me to go out with him everytime. Its OK for me to say no and do something else. We are definitely getting better about fighting and working things out.

I mean, everyone has their own flag, and brick wall. Everyone needs to take the time to work things out, and mend them. When was the last time you took time to do that?


Tuesday 21 June 2011

Cheeseburger Macaroni

I was looking for something yummy and filling that my Fiance and I have been missing since I started my weight loss journey. We've been eating super healthy lately and this just seemed perfect!

I remember when I used to go visit Dan when he lived 2 hours away from me. He would cook me something similar. We would be standing in his tiny kitchen (usually a huuuge mess) and he would brown some hamburger, add lots of cheese whiz, and top it with macaroni. I would put together a ceasar salad in a pot (I know right! He had no salad bowls) and shake it to spread the dressing. We would lounge on the couch, watch a movie and eat this. Of course, me being polite never commented once on it, and ate as much as I could. It was very bland... this on the other hand, has way more flavour! So good! The chilis make it so much better!

Cheeseburger Macaroni
Serves 4 / 11 Points+

1 lb lean hamburger meat
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 can tomatoes and green chilies (or petite diced tomatoes)
2 cups water
1 cup elbow macaroni

Brown and drain hamburger meat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel, beef broth, and macaroni. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and cover pan. Simmer 12-14 mins until macaroni is tender.

Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce….

2 Tablespoons butter
2 tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking for 5 minutes until fragrant and light brown in color. Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil. Whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the shredded cheddar cheese until melted. Add the salt and pepper to the cheese sauce. Pour the cheese sauce over the hamburger mixture. Stir gently to combine.

Monday 20 June 2011

Stagette Party

*cue music *

Everybody get low low low low..

Up down, up down... so goes my weight.

I'm really struggling lately and this past weekend didn't help. It was my stagette..

stagette

Lots of laughs, good times had by all! But I also gained 4lbs. I changed my weigh in day to Fridays. Having it on a Sunday was cruel cruel punishment!


Wednesday 15 June 2011

Zumba

I had a wonderfully OP day yesterday. I was starving when I got home from work yesterday and snacked on some crackers and cheese. But thats ok.. I had some extras.

I tried my zumba game for wii last night. It kicked my ass! I was schweating after 5 minutes and I couldn't do half the moves but I just kept jumping and moving and didn't stop for the whole 20 minute workout! Whew.. and then I did a 20 minute speed walk on my treadmill. I think I might renew my gym membership for a month and go in the mornings. I just don't find that working out at home is enough. I want the weights and the workout I get there. I love getting up and going to the gym for an hour in the morning.. its quiet and it wakes me up and gets me moving! I'm kinda scared though that if I start working out they are going to need to take in my dress. I got a phone call last night and the owner said the seamstress is gone back to her homeland because her mother is ill.... I wont get to do my final fitting until the middle of July now! I'm trying not to stress about it. Everything wil be done on time I'm positive!

Anyway.. happy thoughts.. I'm kinda loving this rain right now. Means its going to be a quiet day at work!

The Green Monster!

My brother and sister bought me a blender for my birthday. I had to try something new in it and this is what I came up with. It's a wonderful, filling breakfast! And a great way to get fruits and veggies plus dairy in!

Green Monster
1 serving / 9 p+

Handful of Ice
1 tbsp flax
1/2 cup berries
1 banana
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups spinach

Blend well on high. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Tuesday 14 June 2011

Sucky!

I am not good at this whole blogging thing! I can do it for a day or two and then I completely forget about it! I'm really trying to get into the habit of doing this everyday, I swear!

This past weekend we celebrated my birthday. Friday we spent the night at a friends house and ordered pizza in at 2 am after a succesful night of drinking. Saturday we went out to my farm, then to the city where we picked up a couple things we needed and went out for supper. Then made the 3 hour drive home and went out for more drinks with friends. At 4:30am we decided we needed to go for a round of golf! Can you believe it! We got home at 10am and crashed hard all day sunday! I feel like my sleeping pattern and food schedule is all off! I was so hungry yesterday all day, but I managed to stay OP!

We picked up a new tv yesterday, So I'll be able to run on the treadmill and not have the tv go on and off! We also took the tv stand from the farm, and I rearranged the basement so we have a "living room" now. Our basement desperately needs a good painting.. maybe a winter project this year!

Then tonight, we are planning on moving the bed in the spare room out, and putting the spare tv upstairs, so I can do my zumba/insanity or play wii upstairs. I think I'll end up putting it in the living room so I can play my wii games, but for zumba, etc it will be nice to have the spare room.

Anyway, I should get back to work :)

Thursday 9 June 2011

Missing in action

Sorry everyone, I've been missing in action lately. I've been sick and have a couple things going on all at once and I'm having a hard time finding time to do it all.

I managed to lose 2 lbs this week! I weighed in on Sunday so this is a little late!

I'm super tired, so I'll post something better later when I'm not so bitter and have had a couple cups of coffee.

Wednesday 1 June 2011

June Goals

I have 5 goals for June!

1. Book boudoir photo session for my fiance's wedding present. This is a huge step for me as I am usually so self conscious about my body. I usually have a couple layers of clothes on, and refuse to take them off for anyone! Yes, I have sex with the lights OFF! I hate my body naked!

2. Sign up for a challenge. I need something to keep me motivated. I need other people to hold me accountable for what I'm doing, and I think if I had a little bit of competition it would make me work that much harder!

3. Lose 6 lbs, and keep it off! That would put me at 130lbs... my goal weight is 123lbs. Thats a little more than a pound a week, but I need it.. I need to get in the groove of working out, and I can do it!

4. Workout/run/walk/bike for at least 4 days a week. Try and go for at least 2 miles a day. Shouldn't be too hard, the treadmill counts! 2 miles a day!

5. Track track track! Everything that goes in my mouth must be tracked!


Menu Revamping

I can't believe how much my menus have changed! I'm really doing this!

Daily Menu for June 1, 2011

Breakfast: 1 serving Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal
1/2 cup blueberries
1 cup skim milk
1 cup coffee with 1 tbsp hazelnut flavor

Snack
1 mandarin orange
10 almonds

Lunch
2 cups mixed greens, 1/2 cup tomato with 2 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp lemon, salt and pepper
1/2 Turkey Sandwich (1 slice whole grain bread, 2 slices deli turkey, 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 leafs lettuce, 2 slices cheddar cheese)

Snack
1 cup fat free plain yogurt with 1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup strawberries

Dinner 1 servings pork chops (bbq'd)
1 corn on the cob
1 cup cooked egg noodles with 1 serving homemade lowfat alfredo sauce

Snack
2 tbsp tostitos spinach dip
12 whole grain tostitos bite size chips

So for my GHGs:
water - will drink throughout the day its only 10pm and I've already had 3!
dairy - I counted 3 but I'm not sure (1 cup milk, 1 cup yogurt, and 2 cheese slices)
veggies - I counted 7 all together (I didn't count the lettuce in my sandwich)
oils - I have 2 tsp in my salad
multivitamins - take at lunch



Tuesday 31 May 2011

Menu Revamping Day 2

So I've taken everything I've learned in the past day and done up another menu..

Daily Menu for May 31, 2011
Breakfast: 1 serving Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1 cup skim milk, 1 cup coffee with 1 tbsp hazelnut flavor
Snack: 1 mandarin orange
Lunch: 2 cups mixed greens with 1 tsp olive oil and salt and pepper, crab melt sandwich
Dinner: 1 serving Greek Ribs, 1/2 cup Lemon Potatoes, 1 cup cucumber sticks
Dessert: 1 cup plain yogurt with 1/2 cup strawberries
Snack: 2 tbsp spinach dip with 12 whole grain tostitos bite size chips

This should definitely follow the GHGs. There is extra oil in the lemon potatos, and my milk servings are in the glass of milk and with the yogurt..both those equal 2 servings. I have a total of 8 fruit/veggies, take my multivitamins with lunch, and water throughout the day.. should be good!

Lemon Potatoes

Lemon Potatoes
8 Servings (1/2 cup each) / 3p+

My favorite lemon potatoes!

Ingredients
1/4 cup lemon juice, canned or bottled
1 cup water
2 tbsp Chicken OXO
1 Tbsp parsley
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1/4 cup canola oil
4 cup uncooked potatoes, cut into bit sized pieces

Instructions
Place the potatoes in a casserole dish.
In a bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Pour over the potatoes.
Cover and place in a preheated 375F oven and bake for one hour.

Monday 30 May 2011

Daily Menu Revamping

I've been having so many troubles lately on Weight Watchers. I find myself soo hungry sometimes I would eat anything in sight! I've been trying to follow the Good Health Guidelines (GHG) this week more, and trying to figure out actual serving sizes and I've started to measure everything! Probably something I should have done the first week I started, buuut I didn't.. Now going onto week 3 this is where I'm at.

1. Fruits, vegetables and leafy greens
Serving sizes are 1 cup for leafy greens and 1/2 cup for all other vegetables and fruits. The lettuce alone in a large salad may well count for 2 or more vegetable servings. The default portion for most fruits and vegetables in the Plan Manager is one cup.

2. Packaged whole grains
Use the nutrition label to determine the serving size of packaged whole grain foods.

3. Milk and dairy
If you are more than 50 years old or are a teenager or a nursing mom, increase milk servings to three each day. Examples of one milk serving include 1 cup of milk or yogurt or 1.5oz of many cheeses.

4. Healthy oils
Having 2 teaspoons of healthy oil each day ensures that you get the vitamin E and essential fatty acids that your body needs. Use the oil on salads, in cooking or as an ingredient in a mixed dish. Two teaspoons of oil is not even 1 tablespoon, so be careful to measure, since each additional teaspoon counts as another PointsPlus value of 1.

5. Lean meat and fish
A serving of lean meat or fish is generally 3 to 4 ounces, about the size of a deck of cards.

6. Water Six 8-ounce glasses of water is just 3 standard 16-ounce bottles.

So.. My problem isn't actually fruit and veggies, or whole grains or lean meats and fish. Its dairy and oils.

Dairy:
If 1 cup of yogurt or milk is one serving.. and I eat 1/3 cup of yogurt each day, plus about 1/3 of a cup in my oatmeal every morning, I still need one more 1/3 cup of milk.
I measured today and 3 slices of cheese is 1.5 ounces so I've made sure to include that in my daily menu.

Oils:
I've added 1 tsp oil to my salad at lunch, and had it with salt and pepper and feta cheese. It was actually super yummy!
My other tsp will be in my stirfried vegetables at supper.

Here is my Daily Menu for May 30, 2011
Breakfast: Oatmeal with 1/3 cup milk, 1/2 cup blueberries, Coffee with 1 tbsp Hazelnut Flavour
Snack: 1/3 cup drinkable yogurt, 1 mandarin orange
Lunch: 2 cups Romaine lettuce with 1 tsp oil and salt&pepper sprinkled with 1 tbsp feta cheese, 1/2 of a multigrain bagel with 1/2 tbsp peanut butter
Snack: 1.5 ounces Cheese, 3 crackers, 1/2 cup cucumbers, 10 almonds
Dinner: Asian Sesame Chicken (1 breast), 1/2 cup Rice, 1 cup Stirfry Vegetables, 1/3 cup milk
Activity: Bike Ride 30mins

Sunday 29 May 2011

May 29 Ramblings

Check it out!

May29

I'm down again this week! Aaaand it was my time of the month! I'm so proud of myself!

Today is my day off from any kind of physical activity... just cleaning up the house and getting caught up on laundry and fun stuff like that. Dan went for a couple rounds of golf with some buddies and I'm actually in my pjs watching movies. We didn't get back until late last night and I didn't have a great sleep so I can see myself having a nap in a bit. Just a relaxing day. :)

Saturday 28 May 2011

May 28 Ramblings

Well today was an amazing day! I had a blast shopping and had such good laughs with my best friend Mel. She is the most wonderful, understanding person in the whole world. I spent around $200 and bought myself a whole new wardrobe! I'm so proud of myself! New, shorts, capris, dress clothes, lots of fun stuff!

Then we went and picked up our boys from the Casino and went for supper. I stayed on plan and had exactly what I planned on having and stayed within my points! So proud of myself! Then off to THE MOVIE!

Hangover2

It was probably the best movie of the year! I had such an amazing time! And I just can't believe that I stayed on plan! I'm so absolutely proud of myself!


Green Smoothie

I was looking for a way to get in some veggies this morning.. this is perfect!

greensmoothie

Green Smoothie
1 serving / 4 Points+

1 cup ice cubes
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup fat free milk

1 cup berries, mango, apples, grapes.. whichever you prefer
1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt

Crush ice cubes in blender, add in the remaining ingredients and blend on liquefy setting. Pour into glass and serve.

My smoothie didn't turn out very green, but it sure was tasty!

Friday 27 May 2011

May 27 Ramblings

I'm so glad today is done, everyone just seemed to be in a horrible mood! I didn't sleep much last night because of my allergies, but mostly because of my dog. I absolutely love my dog to death but he never wants to sleep at night! I don't know, maybe I'm just grumpy due to TOM, who knows.. I don't really have much to write today, and don't have much energy to write anyway..

may 26 supper

Daily Menu
Breakfast - Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal and coffee
Snack - Orange, Drinkable Yogurt
Lunch - Chicken Breast Sandwich
Snack - Apple, Vinta crackers and cheese
Dinner - Corn on the cob (elote), Scrambled Egg Quesadilla
AP - I'm going to try to get a bike ride in tonight yet, but I have to finish cleaning the house

Thursday 26 May 2011

May 26, 2011 Ramblings

All in all I had a good day today. I got my blog all set up again, made some friends on the weight watchers website, met with the Priest for our wedding for the last time, bought groceries and got the yard work done. Pretty much everything on my to do list was accomplished! Makes me happy :)

May 26 Groceries

My grocery list wasn't too big, this is a usual grocery list for us, except somehow I always end up spending over $100. Must be the pepperoni sticks DF added, or the "treats" I picked up for work today... I hid them in this photo ;)

May26

I'm big into gardening this year, with our wedding coming up in only 2 1/2 months (yikes!) I want our yard to look beautiful when we are entertaining and have people staying with us. I've picked out some interesting flowers.. these are by far my favorite and they look amazing in my chocolate brown planters!

Flowers


Surprise!

My mom is the best.. she sends me things in the mail, sometimes weird things that make me shake my head. This came for me today;

mail

Flowers in a box.. lol oooh mom!

My new weightloss journey

Starting today, I'm journaling this.. I'm tracking my food, my moods, my energy, everything!

I've set up a new blog, I'm actually pretty excited about it. I hope that I can stick to it this time.

My wedding is August 13, 2011 and right now I am 136lbs. I would like to fit into my dress and feel good wearing jeans and a tshirt and not have that "paunch" as I call it sticking over. I figure if I lose about 15lbs or so that would be great, but really all I want to do is tone up. I need motivation, I need someone to support me, I need help. I feel really selfish saying that because I never ask for help, I'm so independant and I always do everything on my own, but this is different. I feel so scared right now. Like what if this doesn't work, what if everyone finds out I'm on Weight Watchers and trying to loose weight.. I was always that skinny little girl in highschool, but thats not me now! I mean, I know I'm not fat, but I'm definetly not in shape anymore.. I used to be a long distance runner but look at me now! A 4km walk tires me out and a 30minute bike ride is about all I can do! But thats it.. I've had enough.. I'm starting this and I will finish it! Well thats not what I mean, because really its a lifestyle change not a diet right?

Thats all for now :)

Monday 14 March 2011

Beef Barley Soup

Beef Barley Soup
Makes 8 Servings - 5pts+

1 lb lean beef, trimmed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced celery
2-3 cups slice mushrooms
10 cups beef stock (low salt)
1/2 cup barley
1 bay leaf

Heat half of the vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan or soup pot. I used a dutch oven.

Season the beef with salt, pepper and thyme. Brown well on all sides. This is critical for really great flavour in the soup. Put meat aside on a plate. 

Add the remaining half of the oil to the pan. Add in diced onion and stir to start softening the brown bits in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add in carrots and celery and saute another 2 minutes or so.  

Add in mushrooms and continue cooking until they start to release their liquid to deglaze the pan (I used a tray of sliced mushrooms which ended up closer to 3 cups). 

Cut the beef into approximately 1/2" cubes (larger if you like your soup chunky). Add the meat and any juices from the plate back into the pot. 

Add in all other ingredients. Scrape the bottom to make sure all brown bits are in the soup. Bring to a boil then reduce, cover and simmer for up to 2 hours to fully develop the rich beefy flavour, and to tenderize the meat.  

Add in the barley and continue to simmer for one more hour. You may need to add more water if the soup gets too thick.

Remove bay leaf and serve. Enjoy!



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Sunday 13 March 2011

Faux Fried Chicken

Faux Fried Chicken
Serves 8 - 6pts+ each

1 cup corn flake crumbs
1 ounce parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
8 chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks)
cooking spray

In a shallow bowl or pie plate, mix corn flake crumbs with Parmesan, paprika, marjoram, thyme, seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Set aside.

Pour buttermilk into a second shallow bowl or pie plate and flour into a third shallow bowl or pie plate.

Generously spray a rimmed baking sheet with safflower oil or cooking spray (see tip below). Rinse chicken and pat dry using paper towels. Working one at a time, dip chicken pieces in buttermilk and moisten on all sides. Shake off excess buttermilk. Place chicken in bowl with flour mixture and turn to coat. Dip in buttermilk again, then coat with seasoned corn flake mixture. This process can get a little messy, but hang in there! Double dipping is what makes the chicken extra yummy. Place chicken pieces on prepared baking sheet. Leave some space between chicken pieces (they should not be touching). Spray some cooking spray over the pieces of chicken.

Bake, uncovered, at 400ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, until chicken is golden brown and juices run clear. Enjoy!

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Saturday 19 February 2011

Open Denver Sandwiches (4 pts)

Good morning blogger land! I hope everyone is having a beautiful day so far! Here, the sun is shining, its stopped snowing, someone thought of me and plowed my driveway :) Things are looking good.. well excpet me cause I just rolled out of bed, haven't even put make-up on yet.. hehe

Dan had to work at an event in town this morning so I made us breakfast. His order was poached eggs on toast, which isn't too exciting for me.. I made these!

Open Denver Sandwiches (4pts)
1 egg
1 tbsp 1% milk
1 slice bacon crumbled
1 big tbsp onion, chopped up small
1 big tbsp green pepper, chopped up small
1 big tbsp mushrooms, chopped up small
1 tbsp fresh parsley
sprinkle of garlic, salt and pepper

Mix the egg and milk together in a small bowl. In a frying pan, fry the rest of the ingredients (except cheese) over a low heat. Add in the eggs and shape into two small patties.
Meanwhile toast up an english muffin. Place each pattie on a piece of english muffin and sprinkle with cheese and a couple dashes of hotsauce. Yum
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Sunday 13 February 2011

Spinach Omelette - 4pts

Spinach Omelette - 4 points
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 tbsp skim milk
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup mushrooms, chopped
2 tbsp feta cheese

In a small frying pan sprayed with pam, add the bell pepper, onion and mushrooms. Add a tiny bit of water and cook until softened. Add the spinach and fry until wilted, set aside.
In a small bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Pour into a pre-heated frying pan and cook without stirring for a couple minutes until almost cooked through. Sprinkle cheese on half and add vegetables. Fold over the egg and cook for another minute or until the cheese is melted. Serve with salsa.

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Friday 11 February 2011

Lighter Banana Muffins - 3pts

Banana Nut Muffins (makes 12-14 muffins)
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 egg whites
2 large mashed bananas
3/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F and line 12 muffin wells with papers.
In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until slightly foamy. Stir in bananas, sugar, oil, and lemon zest. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. With a wooden spoon fold in walnuts.
Pour batter into muffin wells, about 2/3 of the way full. Discard any extra papers before baking.
Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until tops are puffed and lightly brown.
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Tuesday 25 January 2011

Black Bean Brownies

Just wanted to share this recipe. I made it last night and I have three 18 year old boys staying with me and the pan is almost gone! They are about half the points of a normal brownie!

Black Bean Brownies
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking dish.
2.Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, and instant coffee in a blender; blend until smooth; pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the mixture.
3.Bake in the preheated oven until the top is dry and the edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes.

Honestly you can't tell the difference! I didn't put in the coffee either.

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