Maple Glazed Almonds

Do you ever crave something?
I mean CRAVE something????

And then do you ever
panic when you go to make it
and you don't have what you need?

This happened to me today.
I wanted a salad with Glazed Cashews-
I toast them in a pan with a VERY small amount of butter,
when they are getting a pretty golden color,
I add in some agave nectar-
they get this yummy, crunchy, sweet flavor
and they taste AMAZING on any salad,

one of my favorites can be found here

I had no Agave,
and I only had salted cashews...

But I'd already made the salad
and I was hungry-

So I went made two substitutions
to a three ingredient recipe
(technically, is that even a recipe)
I used Slivered Almonds instead of Cashews
and Organic Pure Maple Syrup

I was NOT disappointed-
they were so Yummy!

I topped the salad with equal parts of
Grapeseed Oil and Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar

(I've mixed the Cranberry Balsamic with Black Currant
Balsamic and then used an equal portion of Olive Oil too)

Sunday Sundae- Healthy Style

I'm going to tell you about it someday!

One day when I am sure that I can speak about it
with some level of confidence and humility-
right now it is still pretty personal,
But I joined An Addiction Recovery Program.

One reason I don't want to talk about it
YET...
Is that my Addiction is a widely debated topic
in the diet, nutrition and addiction fields

Some say "ABSOLUTELY" and others
laugh and scorn and say things like
"You don't know what you're talking about"

So I've kept it relatively to myself-
I've teased with my friends for a long time that
I was going to do it,
and Finally, I decided it wasn't a joke
(at least, it wasn't to me)
and I joined a program sponsored by my church-
You can learn more here if you are interested

My addiction is to Sugar-
To me it is a real, powerful and to easy to ignore problem-

But like I said,
more on that later!!

I have found that there are a few things I can
do to enjoy Dessert Time with my family on
Sunday evenings.
This is one of my Favorite-

The Waffle Bowls are Homemade

My Hubby is the Master at Waffle Bowl Making

and are made with alternative ingredients for me
but honestly, I don't often eat mine anyway
(I've just learned I'd rather not eat,
than deal with all the substitutions sometimes)

I add some delicious Fruit-
a hearty and healthy serving thank you very much!

I add lime juice and lemon & lime rind 20 minutes before I serve it

I top my "Sundae" with Plain Greek Yogurt
flavored with Cranberry Balsamic Vinegar
or Vanilla Bean Paste and Lemon Extract

What's Not Fabulous About This?

The last time we had ice cream Sundaes,
three of my five kids at home
opted for my version and said no
to the ice cream :)
Oh happy DAY

Day 64- Pumpkin Protein Smoothie

Tis the Season for all things

PUMPKIN 

I mean, seriously, what doesn't get
touched by pumpkins this time of year :)

But so many of the yummy 
Pumpkin recipes are for 
things that are off my radar for 
right now!!
I do have a yummy Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

that I can make with my
freshly ground Whole Wheat,
but I do have to keep them to a limit.

My kiddos love a good 
Pumpkin Shake, 
 
so I decided to try a 
healthy Protein Pumpkin Smoothie-
it was an epic fail when we used
Greek Yogurt-
but with regular Yogurt it was 
a crowned victory-


With 30 grams of protein 
and 225 calories per serving-
this is a perfect post workout treat!

Pumpkin Protein Smoothie
1 Scoop Vanilla Whey
1/2 Cup Low Fat Milk
2 Tablespoons Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Fat Free Vanilla Yogurt
Dash or two of Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 Cup Crushed ice

Blend in blender and enjoy!

Day 72- Another Orange Recipe- Orange Skewered Steak

This is such a simple and light
option for a red meat.

I absolutely love how easy this recipe is
and how flavorful it is.
Plan on devouring this up,
I usually serve this with a light salad

Little Miss Sunshine Salad

and a fresh veggie- like these Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

Complete and beautiful Dinner in less than 30 minutes

That's the way I like it


Orange Scented Beef Skewers

1 orange (both zest and juice)
1/4 cup liquid aminos
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP. agave or honey
1 TBSP. sesame oil
1 tsp. fresh ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp. Sambal chile paste
1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Zest the orange into a bowl. Cut the orange
in 1/2 and juice into the bowl. Add the remaining
ingredients except the steak.
Cut the steak into strips. Let the steak
strips marinate for several hours.
Place the steak strips onto skewers
(I used metal ones, soak bamboo ones in
water first so they don't flame)
twisting while you skewer.
Preheat your grill to a medium-high
and grill the skewers about 4-6 minutes.
These cook fast, so watch them carefully,
and eat immediately.

B: Fage Greek Yogurt w/ raspberries
S: Cottage Cheese
L: Lettuce leaf wrap sandwich, apple
S: Multi-grain crackers, 1 oz. cheese
D: Fajita veggies, grilled chicken
Total Calories: 1202
No Exercise Today

Day 73- Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

Oh sweet wonderful oranges,
and limes & lemons-
Yes ma'am, I do,
I love Citrus,

the colors, the smells,
the juices, the flavor,
I even love the smell
of the citrus trees in bloom!
Yes, yes it's true,
I love Citrus.

I love to add citrus zests when
I cook and prepare food.
We use it in our salad dressings,
we use it in our sweet treats,
and we almost always add
a zip of citrus to our fresh juices

Behold the ingredients to my favorite Juice; beets, apples, lemon & ginger

and smoothies!

Strawberries, Lemon & Banana!

I haven't done a recipe for several days,
and decided that I couldn't hold out one
of my favorite, quick, easy and
wonderful veggie dishes.

See 'em up there at the top! Oh, mummy, they're yummy!

It's another one of those recipes that
I feel almost silly sharing because it
is soooo easy-
but oh soooo yummy!

This recipe makes a wonderful companion
to a simple family dinner as well
as a delightful side for any special occasion-

I have served it at home, at church functions,
and for big groups-

it's a winner that's for sure!

Orange Zested Sugar Snap Peas

2 pounds Sugar Snap Peas
2 TBSP. butter
Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
1 orange

I use a saute pan;
Add sugar snap peas with 
a very small amount of water,
just enough to allow steaming,
add the juice of 1/2 the orange 
and the sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt flakes)
and cook for maybe 2 or 3 minutes.
I like my veggies al dente,
cook longer if you want them a little
more cooked.
When cooked to your liking,
zest the orange onto the beans
and top with butter.
Stir and serve!!


 

Day 78- Thai Lettuce Wraps

Do you have any recipes that you know you love,
you know your family loves, but for some
reason you don't make it very often?
Well this is one of those recipes for me!

My family LOVES this recipe-
we have been making these for so long,
I couldn't even begin to track down
where the original recipe came from.

Believe me, make an effort to
have ALL the ingredients if at all
possible. The unique combination of
fresh ginger, mint, cilantro and lime
is amazing! Every one of your taste buds
will pop with joy as you eat these.
And made with ground turkey,
these come in at less than 100 calories
each!

Go, go NOW to get these yummy ingredients!

Thai Lettuce Wraps

1 T. Oil                                                                1 lb. GroundTurkey

1 sliced red pepper                                       3 thinly sliced scallions

2 T. Finely chopped ginger                        2 chopped garlic cloves

½ t. red pepper flakes                                 1 t. sugar

3 T. Soy Sauce                                                 1 t. sesame oil

12 boston lettuce leaves                            1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1 bunch mint & cilantro leaves               1 lime

 ** I added avocado because I had some and wanted to use them up

Cook & crumble ground turkey. 

Add pepper, scallion, ginger, garlic, pepper flakes & sugar. 

Turn off heat, stir in soy sauce & sesame oil. 

To serve: Put lettuce, cucumber, mint & cilantro on platter. 

Place 1/4 c. turkey mixture in 1 leaf of lettuce. 
Top with cucumber, mint and cilantro. Squeeze some lime on top and roll.

Day 78- Stats & Facts
B: Mango Berry Protein Shake
S: Cottage Cheese & Tomato Slices
L: Boar's Head Chicken sandwich on 
Ezekial Bread
S: Pear, Cantalope, Cucumbers w/ Hummus
D: Thai Lettuce Wraps w/ avocados
1 cup milk
Total Calories: 1202
Exercise 60 minutes, strength &
60 minutes treadmill steady pace

Day 80- Healthy Snack Attack

I have two main concerns to my healthy diet-
First, I often don't eat enough in a Day!
Surprisingly, a lot of women,
especially mom's do not!
When we don't eat enough, or don't
eat a consistent diet on a daily basis,
our bodies get confused and go into
a starvation mode. When this happens
our bodies hold on to every bit of food
we give them and store them as fat, to
be used at a later date.

If exercise is part of your routine,
the importance of making sure you are
getting enough calories is that much
more important.

This has been one of my biggest enemies
over the past several years. I have to be
vigilant at ensuring I get the right number of
calories with the proper allocation of
protein, carbs and fats.

The second challenge I face, is I am
a sugar addict. This is no surprise and can
be easily proven by the number of desserts in
my personal recipe collection. I need to be
extra cautious that I keep my sugar cravings
at bay. The biggest trick for me is to keep myself
out of the kitchen during the day. If I can
have snacks pre-made and pre-portioned,
I am less likely to stand around the kitchen
trying to decide what to eat.


I have noticed that when I follow the nutrition
advice of eating five small meals a day at intervals
of between three and five hours, I can get a pretty good
grasp of both of these issues.

Because exercise is a big part of my daily routine,
I pay special attention to the amount of protein
I get each day. The general consensus is that
your diet consist of about 1/2 of your body weight
in protein. Make sure you get about 20-30 grams of protein
within one hour of a weight lifting workout.

This list of easy and simple snacks keeps me
craving free, satisfied throughout the day
and ensures my protein needs are met.


Simple & On The Go Snacks

Banana with 1-2 TBSP. peanut butter & a dallop of Vanilla Paste
Celery sticks and pisatchios
Almonds and Apple
Greek Yogurt and Berries
Tuna on a rice cake with Salsa
Jicama, sliced peppers & Guacamole
Turkey Slice & cheese stick
Hummus & Persian cucumbers
Gluten Free crackers & 1 oz. cheese
Rice chex, dried cranberries & almonds
Cottage cheese & tomato slices

I love that with these easy snack combination
I can ward off cravings for sugary foods,
keep satisfied and because I am eating the
right combinations of food, I am less likely
to over eat on dinner or the occassional
dessert night.

Day 81- Quality Counts with Oils & Vinegars

My sixteen year old is our resident
salad dressing maker.
I am usually running around the kitchen
in the final minutes before dinner is served
and all of a sudden I realize I forgot to make
the dressing-
lucky for me, in walks Miss Kutie Pie
and she saves the day.

She makes some yummy ones,
and is a pro at deciding what flavors
will best compliment the fresh ingredients
we are using in the Salad de Jour!

With the exception of one dressing that
we use once in a rare while, we make
our own salad dressings- no matter what
type of salad we are eating. 
This is one of the things we did long ago
when I started eliminating processed foods
and I have loved it so much. No more drowning
our greens and toppings.

The secret to great tasting homemade dressings
is great tasting oils

Specialty and high quality oils are available at most fine grocery stores.

and vinegars.

There are specialty oil & vinegar shops in many areas or you can buy online

They may be a bit more pricey-
but ohhh, soooo worth it-

Miss Kutie just recently made us a dressing
that was out of this world,
It was made with
Grapeseed Oil
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
Sea Salt
Coconut Sugar
Lemon Extract

Nielsen-Massey has great ingredients and can be ordered online if you can't find them locally

We used small dashes on this Delicious Salad

It was truly a match made in Heaven!

Day 81 Stats & Facts
B: Greek yogurt with berries and granola
S: Whole Grain crackers with guacamole
L: Grilled Tuna Sandwich on Ezekial Bread, mango slices
S: 1/2 c. cottage cheese & grapes
D: Fruit salad & Luna protein bar
S: Whole Wheat Graham Crackers & Kettle Corn
Total Calories: 1214
No Exercise

Little Miss Sunshine Salad

It doesn't seem like
anything special at first glance.
With just a few ingredients it
just seems to good to be true.
But I can promise you this salad
will make you smile :)

Seriously, my mouth is watering just thinking of this salad!!

Even Dear ole' Hubby liked it
and he is usually not too fond
of vinaigrette dressings.

Let's just cut to the chase here shall we??
This salad starts with some pretty
simple basics:

A mixture of baby spring greens and baby spinach
Fresh Raspberries
Craisins
Bleu Cheese or Feta (depends on what you like)

Than you add some delicious Glazed Cashews,
* we make these by melting butter in a heavy pan,
adding cashews and tossing them until lightly
roasted. We then add agave nectar and continue tossing
until they are nice and glazed over. We have used
various flavors of agave and have never been
disappointed with the flavor of the nuts. 

Drizzle lightly with this Vinaigrette
Grapeseed Oil
Pomegranate Balsamic Vinegar
Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar
Lemon Extract
Sea Salt
Coconut Sugar

Go Ahead- admit it
You like it LOTS!!

Day 83- Make Friends with Salad- Chile Lime Steak Fajita Salad

Holy Mouthful Batman!!

Today I am including a salad that is a Mouth Full
of Yumminess from beginning to END!

Rule # 6 (read here for my "rules")
says to avoid Carbs after lunch- which means
that during this 84 day process, I will be
eating a lot of Dinner Salads.
I'm not talking boring old Dinner Salads-
No Way Jose,
These are mouth watering treats, full of
goodness, nutrients and healthy living!

I have several Salad Recipes that I love
this one is easy & one I make ALL the time for lunch
or this one just omit the noodles.
 

This recipe actually serves double duty-
Day 1: It's a yummy Flank Steak served with
this Delicious Mango Berry Salsa
and caramelized peppers and brown rice

and then on Day 2, it's this delicious salad!

So sorry, it tastes much better than this looks

For the Steak:
1-2 pounds flank steak

Rub:
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 lime, juiced
1 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil

Combine all the rub spices together. Add lime juice
and olive oil- stir to combine
Place the steak in a shallow dish like a pie plate
and pour rub over. Rub it in on both sides.
Allow the steak to sit for 15 minutes.
Getch'yur grill ready-
Gill over medium-high heat 5-7 minutes to your desired
doneness, I like to leave it a little pink on the inside.
Let the steak rest for 5 minutes and then Cut steak into strips

For the Salad: 
Romaine and Mixed Greens
Red Onion, sliced thinly
Drained Black Beans
Avocados, sliced
Red, Yellow & Orange Peppers-
slightly sauteed so they are a little more than 
al dente

Top with a delicious, spicy, homemade salsa
in place of a dressing-

Okay, so for the Low Down on Day 83
B: Steel Cut Oats, Blueberries & Pecans
S: Banana & 3 TBSP almonds
L: Boars Head Chicken Sandwich on Ezekial Bread & an apple
S: Turkey Jerky & Grapes
D: This delicious Salad!
Total Calories: 1242
Exercise: Strength, 65 minutes at home

Spicy Mango & Berry Salad

I told you about this Delicious Chicken

that has rocked our world since
I first discovered it earlier this summer!

All due Respect-
I do love the Chicken-
but I love this SALAD even more-

Use the leftover Chicken
from this RECIPE POST

Spicy Mango & Berry Salad

Mixed Greens
Raspberries & Blackberries
Mango
Red Onion slices
Spicy Chicken, cut into slices

We use all sorts of dressings with this combination
My daughter makes a delicious
Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing
and we love this

Citrus Vinaigrette Dressing
1 shallot, finely minced
1/3 c. fresh orange juice
3 TBSP. lime juice
2 TBSP. honey or agave
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. sea salt
pepper to taste
1/2 c. grapeseed oil
* Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites Cookbook

Last summer, I had a strange
and frustrating weight gain
thing going on!!

I was so frustrated and finally
called a nutritionist friend of mine.
She analyzed my food and exercise
and determined that I was eating
TOO FEW calories and not enough Protein!

Well hold on there, little Missy,
the only way I know to add more
calories is to add more treats-
but I knew that wasn't what I was looking for.

So in a search for recipes that would
support post-cleanse life,
bring calories and would also
taste yummy for the kiddos,
I found this delicious Chicken Salad.

I am going to tell you,
right here and right now,
that this isn't fancy--
can I just make that my
overall disclaimer!!
THIS IS NOT FANCY!

But it is YUMMY,
oh so YUMMY!!
It is light enough for a summer
lunch or dinner.
Easy enough to pack on a picnic,
and tasty enough to eat often.
Plus ALL my kiddos liked it
even the pickiest of the picky's
will eat it.

Chicken Salad Wrap

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
mayonnaise
Dijon mustard
green onions
freshly ground black pepper
fresh dill
diced celery
red pepper flakes

I didn't give you any measurements for a few
reasons. First of all, I don't care for mayonnaise,
so I use the smallest amount possible. And to be
honest, I think the entire recipe is subject to
your own preferences. I like that I can add
everything but the mayo and mustard and pack
in a picnic cooler. Than I just add the condiments
when we are ready.

I serve this in many ways, the pictures above
are on a wrap with cucumbers and red onions
and lettuce. Add red peppers, feta cheese
or spinach too.
Simple-
but easy and light!!

Steak Fajita Salad

I started off with some
deliciously seasoned flank steak
and peppers & yellow squash that
had been roasted barely to al dente,

I made a bed of spring greens & spinach

topped that bed with a delightful
spread of the peppers and steak,
along with some thin slices of red onion
and zucchini 

and topped that with some fresh
bleu cheese.

I combined some
olive oil and some specialty Balsamic Vinegar-

-I used a Current Balsamic,
but any deep flavored Balsamic would work-
and mixed them together with a little sea salt
and shallots to make a deep & rich
dressing-

Add a homemade
Whole Wheat Crescent Roll

And Voila-
my new favorite salad-
at least until tomorrow

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

I found this pancake recipe many years ago
in a fitness magazine. It is originally
from a spa in Utah that focuses on
health and wellness.

I forget about this recipe ALL the
time and I don't know why.

My family LOVES these pancakes,and they are a wonderful way to
start the day.

The fresh fruit cooks right into
the batter, which gives them a
fun little extra oomph.

Because the fruit adds so much
extra flavor,

we use very little syrup on them-

less sugar to start the day-
Can't help lovin' that!

And of course,
for the picky face eaters in the house,
I make some without the berries-

I just can't believe they are soo picky!!
Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes w/ Fruit

3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3 TBSP. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 TBSP. maple syrup
1 egg
1 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. milk
1 c. berries ***
2 1/2 TBSP. canola oil

***I stewed a mixture of blackberries,
raspberries and blueberries. I added
the zest & juice of 1/2 orange.
 
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine remaining
ingredients except for oil and berries; mix well.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until smooth.

Lightly coat griddle with canola oil (don't skip this
& don't use spray)

Ladle approximately 3 T. batter on griddle
& sprinkle with 1 T. berries. Cover berries
with additional 1 T. batter and cook until
bubbles form. Flip and cook until other
side is golden brown.

Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls

I have used the same recipe for
Crescent Rolls for over 15 years!!

I have seen others,
I have considered others,
BUT I never, ever actually
MAKE any other recipe!

My Motto-
"Don't fix what ain't broken"

But white flour is really NOT my friend
right now, so these rolls have been
out of my life for quite some time.

I volunteered to bring rolls to
Easter Dinner at a friends house,
so I decided to make some
the same way as always.
But I decided to make a batch
using fresh ground whole wheat.

I was way skeptical-
one of the things that makes these
rolls so amazing is that they are so
light and airy,
and I had my doubts that I could
get that same consistency with
whole wheat.

The dough rose to perfection

Once rolled & shaped, they again rose perfectly

I was WRONG!!!
These worked wonderfully,
Tasted amazing
and I could enjoy every bite!

 Whole Wheat Crescent Rolls

3 cups whole wheat flour ***
1 c. scaled milk
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. warm water
1 TBSP. yeast
1 egg

*** You can use a combination of wheat & white
flour if you would like.

Soften yeast in warm water. Mix milk, margarine,
sugar and salt. Let the milk cool enough so it
doesn't kill the yeast. Add yeast and egg. Beat.
Add flour to form a soft dough. Let rise
45 minutes. Punch down and roll dough 1/4"
thick. Roll into circles and cut into pie slices.
Roll from big side to small side into crescent
rolls. Let rise another 20-30 minutes. Bake at
375 degrees for 12 minutes.

* A big tip for this recipe is to keep the dough
as moist as you can to work with it. This keeps
the rolls really light and fluffy, not too heavy.

Grilled Vegetables

Oh Garden Goodness!!
Remember I said I'd live on a farm
if I had my ruthers?

Well this is why,

Take a wide array of veggies- 

 

Mix together,
a little bit of Grapeseed oil
a little bit of Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar,
and definitely a little crushed red pepper
with a bit of sea salt and pepper

Apply generously over above mentioned veggies

add to the grill

cook for a few minutes,
and than flip,

and voila,
dinner instantly!!
So Yummy,
So Healthy,
and really, in my opinion,
So Beautiful.

I was in a bit of a bind for dinner
the other night.
I had veggies and
I had chicken thawed,
but honestly I was a little tired
of my old standby's!

 I felt like something hip and happening,
so I went with grilling the veggies nearly whole

and than topping greens

with the grilled chicken and veggies!

With a little fresh guac 

and homemade restaurant style salsa

Well, all I can say is that
My family LOVED it-

and I loved that it was so fast,
easy and presentable

That's a win-win-win in my book!