Just some food for thought :)

Best Workout Songs of 2011 Playlist!

Best Workout Songs of 2011 Playlist!

Mantra

Something to think about when I'm discouraged :)

I promis this is the last one! (for today anyway!!)

Isn't that the truth????

This is inspiration!!

I love how she said it!!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS!!

Exercise...

I found this today. I have a work out, but I'm always looking to add to my work out...... I found these which is a nice little break down... :) Just some ideas to have around when I have those days of not knowing what I'm going to do ;-)



Vintage Chart

So I found this vintage chart on Pintrest.com (a current obsession!!!) I like vintage items, and I needed somthing like this. The number on the scale changes, so I try to weigh only once a week. But this will help me see inch difference over the weeks. I'm not sure if anyone out there is reading this, but if you are I hope you enjoy!!! I think I will fill this out every week when I weigh in :)

Getting Fruity: We Try Dole Fruit Bites, Cups, Shakers and Crisps

Somethign to think about!!

Getting Fruity: We Try Dole Fruit Bites, Cups, Shakers and Crisps

Exercise

So I've posted a few blogs just about food and what I'd like to eat (mostly trying to find healthy recipes so that it will be easier to keep up the diet.) I figure I should add in I am exercising. I doing about 45 min on the elliptical and some weights. My biggest problems are really drinking soda (LOVE MY SODA)  and smoking. But I plan to quit both as a new years resolution.... :) 

Below is a fair estimate for me as of right now (I'm the beginning photo) lol

Skinny Taco Dip!!!!!

Skinny taco... Yes Please!!!!! I've just got to remember that the whole pan is not 68 calories :))

A must have at every large get together. This is my daughter's favorite dip, which she has nicknamed "the stuff". It's easy to prepare and always disappears in minutes. Serve this low fat dip at your next party with your favorite baked tortilla chips. Also great with jalapenos, scallions or avocados.

Skinny Taco Dip
Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1/24th of dip • Old Points: 1.5 pts • Points+: 2 pts
Calories: 59.2 • Fat: 3.6 g • Protein: 2.2 g • Carb: 4.7 g • Fiber: 0.6 g 

• 8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese
• 8 oz reduced fat sour cream
• 16 oz jar mild salsa
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 2.25 oz black olives,

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning and mix well with an electric mixer. Spread on the bottom of a large shallow glass dish. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and black olives. Serve with baked tortilla chips. Click here for the original recipe

Olive Garden® Zuppa Toscana

****I know I like to steal recipes... :-)*****

Olive Garden® Zuppa Toscana

This is a much requested recipe on the site given its name! Someone who used to work at the Olive Garden sent in the original recipe and I've adapted it to serve just 6-8. Try it since it is really yummy!

It is a very good soup and hits the spot on cold winter days. I've included this and a few other Olive Garden-inspired recipes on the site for all of our visitors that enjoy eating at the restaurant chain. In my opinion, making these recipes at home makes them even better than the ones you eat at the restaurant! :)

Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb ground Italian sausage
• 1½ tsp crushed red peppers
• 1 large diced white onion
• 4 Tbsp bacon pieces
• 2 tsp garlic puree
• 10 cups water
• 5 cubes of chicken bouillon
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
• ¼ of a bunch of kale

1. Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

2. In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 mins. or until the onions are soft.
3. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.

4. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
5. Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
6. Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve. Delicious!

Buon appetito!

****NUTRITION INFORMATION*****

Zuppa Toscana is one of the four primary soups the Olive Garden restaurant chain offers. All Olive Garden meals come with the choice of a salad or soup, or you can order Zuppa Toscana alone or as part of the lunchtime unlimited soup and salad special. The soup, which is based in a creamy broth, features russet potatoes, cavolo greens -- which are similar to kale -- and sausage, according to Olive Garden.

Calories

Zuppa Toscana has the third highest caloric content among the four Olive Garden soup options. At 170 calories per bowl -- 8.5 percent of your recommended intake on a 2,000-calorie per day diet -- it rings in behind minestrone and pasta e fagioli, which are 100 and 130 calories respectively. The newest addition to the soup menu, chicken and gnocchi, comes in at 250 calories, according to Olive Garden.

Zuppa Toscana has 4 grams of fat -- just 6 percent of your recommended daily value -- and 2 grams of saturated fat, or 10 percent of your recommended daily value, per serving. Minestrone has 1 gram of fat but no saturated fat, while pasta e fagioli has 2.5 grams of fat and 1 gram of saturated fat. Chicken and gnocchi again rings in as the least diet-friendly of the four options, with 8 grams of fat and 3 grams of saturated fat.

Sodium

A single bowl of Zuppa Toscana contains 960 milligrams of sodium, according to Olive Garden. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, you should consume fewer than 2,400 milligrams of sodium each day, meaning that a bowl of Zuppa Toscana constitutes 40 percent of your recommended sodium intake. The sodium content of both the minestrone and the chicken and gnocchi soup is higher than that of Zuppa Toscana, at 1020 and 1180 milligrams, respectively. Pasta e fagioli contains just 680 milligrams of sodium.

Carbohydrates

A bowl of Zuppa Toscana contains 24 grams of carbohydrates, which is just 8 percent of the recommended daily intake of 300 grams. Minestrone, pasta e fagioli and chicken and Gnocchi contain 18, 17 and 29 grams of carbohydrates, respectively.

Fiber

A bowl of Zuppa Toscana contains 2 grams of fiber, 8 percent of the daily recommended intake of 25 grams. Minestrone contains 3 grams; pasta e fagioli contains 6 grams and chicken and gnocchi contains 2 grams.

Healthy Choices

Like many soups, the sodium content of Zuppa Toscana is high, but it's relatively on-par with minestrone and pasta e fagioli, although their fat, calorie and carbohydrate amounts are lower. Zuppa Toscana is, in general, a wiser choice than chicken and gnocchi if you're watching your waistline. But all four soups beat out the Olive Garden salad with dressing, in terms of being lower-calorie and lower-fat diet options. A single serving of Olive Garden salad with dressing rings in at 350 calories, 26 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat and 1930 milligrams of sodium, along with 22 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber

Read more: HERE

Cheesy Spinach Lasagna

So I love Lasagna, I'm not really sure if this is healthy... but it seems to be a better alternative to the other lasagna I have made in the past... Below the recipe are ways to change it up and possibly improve it. I got the recipe from here. I am also interested in trying the Tomato Basil Lasagna with Prosciutto. You can get the recipe here.

Ingredients

• 9 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 (16-ounce) container fat-free ricotta cheese 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 (3-ounce) package Canadian bacon, chopped
  
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• Vegetable cooking spray
• 1 (26-ounce) jar low-fat pasta sauce

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; set aside.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, and next 5 ingredients.
3. Sauté chopped Canadian bacon and diced onion in a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir into cheese mixture.
4. Spread 1/2 cup pasta sauce on bottom of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer with 3 noodles and 1/2 cup pasta sauce; top with half of cheese mixture. Repeat layers once, ending with remaining cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining pasta sauce.
5. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese; bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes.
6. NOTE: Freeze individual portions as desired. To reheat, bake, covered at 300' for 1 hour

***To reduce sodium, omit Canadian bacon and salt.

***I LOVE this recipe! I've made it countless times and still receive rave reviews. I've made this for a weeknight dinner or hosting a dinner party. I use 'no cook' lasagna noodles to save on time & add a can of 'no salt' diced tomatoes to the sauce. To satisfy my non-vegetarian husband I added crumbled MorningStar Italian Sausage. YUM

Vanilla Berry Parfaits

 

So I love frozen parfaits!!! I found this on allrecipes.com Click here for the link. You can change servings and find other items on here to!!!!!

Vanilla Berry Parfaits

 

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) containers vanilla yogurt
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen mixed berries
• 2 tablespoons crushed graham crackers
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

1. Cover the bottoms of two small glasses with a layer of yogurt. Cover layer with berries. Repeat until both glasses are full, ending with a fruit layer. Sprinkle with graham crackers and nutmeg.

100 Calorie Cupcakes

So by May of next year I would like to have lost 50 lbs, that's 10lbs a month. Part of losing the weight will include not just serious exercise but also new eating habits. Crash dieting doesn't work for me (or anyone I know of.) Cupcakes are my absolute favorite dessert, sooooo I went on a google hunt to see if I could find a healthy recipe. I found a recipe from Chef Curtis Stone, a 100 Calorie cupcake. I'm very excited to try this :)

Chef Curtis Stone showed the“Biggest Loser” contestants how to make 100-calorie cupcakes. 

By using ingredients such as egg whites, Greek yogurt and whole wheat flour he was able to create a guilt free version of one of our favorite dessert treats!

Below are also two types of frostings that the chef uses (Banana or Raspberry) although if you are feeling creative you can substitute the banana/raspberries with your favorite fruit to create your own healthy frosting!  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients
5 organic egg whites
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Banana Frosting:
1 cup nonfat cream cheese
1/2 ripe banana

Raspberry frosting:
1 cup nonfat cream cheese, at room temp
1 cup fresh raspberries
Fresh raspberries to garnish

Method

• Preheat the oven to 325F.
• Place the egg whites in a large bowl and using a handheld mixer whip the whites on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until the whites begin to lighten up and hold their shape.
• Increase speed to high and whip in the salt and honey until the whites hold a soft peak, and then add the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the yogurt.
• In a separate medium mixing bowl combine the flour and baking powder and mix well.
• Sift the dry ingredients into the egg whites a little at a time, gently folding them in with a rubber spatula.
• Once fully incorporated, scoop the batter into cupcake tins lined with cupcake papers.
• Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 20 minutes or until they have colored and gently spring back when pushed with a finger.
• Remove from the oven and cool the cupcakes at room temp.
• Mix the cream cheese and the banana in a medium mixing bowl until well incorporated, leaving small chunks of banana throughout the frosting.
• Once cool, spread a little of the banana frosting over the cupcakes and (top each with a raspberry?) serve.

Raspberry frosting:

• While the cupcakes are baking, puree the raspberries in a blender until smooth.
• Pass through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepot and cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or until the puree reduces slightly.
• Cool completely.
• Place the cream cheese into a medium mixing bowl and fold the puree into the cream cheese until fully mixed.
• Once cupcakes are cool, spread a little of the berry frosting over the cupcakes, garnish each with one raspberry and serve.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 60
Total Fat 0g
Sat Fat g 0g
Cholesterol 5mg
Sodium 190mg
Total Carb 10g
Dietary Fiber 1g
Sugar 4g
Protein 5g



Day 1 of my life

• White
• Female
• 25 (DOB: March 12, 1986)
• 5 ft 7 in
• Current weight: 245 lbs

     So I am determined to make today the start of a new life. I have moved to a new town, I have a new job, new hair cut, new hair....  Pretty much a new life. I now live just blocks away from the beach, and I want a new body to go along with everything esle. So this will be my weight loss Blog as I get ready for the summer!!!!