I've been on Amazon looking at exercise videos and decided to see what videos our library carries. Unfortunately they do not have many of the ones that I do like, but I discovered some I am anxious to try. Two of them are meant to strengthen/rehabilitate the knees and two are ballet videos. One of the videos I really like doing before had a lot of ballet moves in it and I loved that! So, I am anxious for them to come in so I can try them out!
Here they are on Amazon:
Strong Knees
Quickfix Rx: Kneehab for Knee Health with Jill Miller
The Ballet Workout Shaping & Toning
New York City Ballet Workout 1 & 2
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Easy Hamburger Soup & Herb Quick Bread update
It has been so cold here the last few days I wanted soup for dinner. For some reason a barley soup was calling me. I remembered I had a recipe on the blog so that is what I went with: Easy Hamburger Soup. Man it is so good! Last time I had made it with turkey because that was what I had but wished I'd had beef. This time I had the beef. Even Aaron said he liked the meat (which is saying quite a lot). He probably would have finished the entire thing if we weren't pressed for time. I didn't have celery but it didn't need it. I added a kale leaf too. I probably should have added more though. So delicious!!
This is a great soup for a bread. I went with my Herb Quick Bread but wanted something cheesy too so I just added a cup of cheese to the dry mix. Since I have been more calorie conscious I used 1 3/4 c whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 c all purpose flour instead of 3 c. all purpose flour. And like last time, I subbed Italian seasoning and basil for the caraway seeds.
Today I had them for lunch - even better the next day. I decided I actually prefer crackers to the bread in my soup, but the bread is really good with cream cheese on it! (Thanks to Aaron for discovering that tidbit!)
This is a great soup for a bread. I went with my Herb Quick Bread but wanted something cheesy too so I just added a cup of cheese to the dry mix. Since I have been more calorie conscious I used 1 3/4 c whole wheat flour and 1 1/4 c all purpose flour instead of 3 c. all purpose flour. And like last time, I subbed Italian seasoning and basil for the caraway seeds.
Today I had them for lunch - even better the next day. I decided I actually prefer crackers to the bread in my soup, but the bread is really good with cream cheese on it! (Thanks to Aaron for discovering that tidbit!)
Homemade Poptarts
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| The recipe calls for a pie sheet, but I decided to try it with a can of crescent rolls. Next time I will use the pie crust sheet. Notice that each 'square' is cut in half. One side will have the jelly and the other will be the top. |
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| Each tart got 1/2 tsp of jelly. We decided to try two different flavors: strawberry and black raspberry. The top left one has already been folded over. |
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| Seal each tart with a fork. |
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| Time to put it in the oven! |
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| Baked at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. |
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| The recipe tells you how to add frosting, but we decided to just do sprinkles. We added butter first so the sprinkles would have something to stick to. |
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| Time for taste testing! |
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| Not quite a thumbs up or thumbs down. The crescent rolls were not the right flavor for a pop tart. It is almost like it is too savory or thick. But the concept works and is a great one. Calorie wise I think the pie sheet would be better too. |
Green Onions
I have known for awhile that you can re-grow green onions from their bulb. I finally decided to do it though after going through a lot of bunches in a row. It makes me so happy to see such greenery :)
A tip for doing this yourself:
You can cut all the way to the white and have a short piece to start with, but make sure that it does not get submersed in the water or it will get water logged and rot. This is a huge deal! You can see my little nub there on the bottom right of the jar. It was regrowing but it ended up in the water at one point and then it rotted.
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| 10 days growth - ready for some trimming! |
Butternut Squash and Kale Rice dish
Butternut Squash and Kale Rice Dish
based off of The Pioneer Woman's Butternut Squash and Kale Quesadillas
1 cup diced butternut squash
1 cup kale leaves
1 cup cooked rice (brown or white)
chili powder
cinnamon
nutmeg
salt/pepper
olive oil
I sauted the butternut squash until warm and a little tender and added cinn & chili power and set aside.
Heat olive oil and do the kale. Set aside
Heat rice and add more cinn & nutmeg. Add the squash and kale back in and mix together until warmed through.
For more details about preparing the squash and kale, see the link above for the quesadillas. She does a great job showing how to do it (including a tutorial about cutting up the butternut squash).
Mom's Egg Nog
This year was my first Christmas away from home which meant I had to carry on the food traditions without Mom's help. Thankfully, Matthew and I have hosted Christmas breakfast on occasion so I have had Mom's guidance while making the egg nog before. I wasn't sure how it would turn out with just a basic recipe and my memory. I think it turned out really well - and the thickest egg nog ever!! It was so thick! Sometimes I would add milk to my cup to thin it out and it tasted very similar to the store bought which surprised me.
Here is the basic recipe:
Egg nog recipe:
18 eggs
1 qt cream
1 cup sugar
nutmeg
Separate eggs, beat yolks very well. Add sugar. Add nutmeg and cream (whip the cream first). Add beaten egg whites. (egg whites must be beaten very well, like you were making meringue)
Make the sure the beaters are cleaned after beating the yolks.
Some tips - Mom adds sugar at every step so that 1 cup sugar isn't really accurate. I beat the yolks until they were almost white. The egg whites should peak like meringue, and the cream was beat really well too.
More Birds
I made these birds for my brother's family for Christmas. Each one is certainly unique in the way it comes out. I like them though. My aunt made us a stuffed animal every year for Christmas. I could see me getting into that - though she had a lot fewer nieces and nephews than I do to worry about.
Lost it
I decided to just walk on the treadmill with a real good incline. The power went out suddenly and I have no idea how long I'd been walking at that point or what the calories were looking like. I walked an additional 20 minutes and burned 128. I was keeping close eye on it and at the 15 min mark I had burned 100. From that point on I was in a cool down and walked from 2.5 to 2.0 and burned an additional 28. I guessed at about 260. I know I had walked at least 30 minutes before. Actually, my calories may have been over 300.... but I have no way of knowing for sure :( wah!! I thought about walking up to the 30 minutes mark to see what it would look like but I am tired now!! This was a good workout!!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Zucchini Oven Fries
Zucchini Oven Fries
Turned out really well (man it is nice to have an oven that works). Love the flavor!
Check in
Last week - 176.8
This week - 176.4
Not a big drop, but I have been a lot more liberal with my food intake - eating all the calories I'm given, whereas before I would leave a good amount. Plus I think there is always a bigger drop in the beginning as your body gets shocked into functioning on a higher level and then tapers off as it gets used to the new routine. And then there's the whole issue of womanhood. So, we'll see what happens next week. This is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall picture.
Yesterday I wanted to do a quick workout but up the anti a bit so I did the 4 mph treadmill program (which means 6 minutes of solid 4 mph) on an incline. I was curious whether the treadmill would take the incline into account and apparently it did because the last time I did the program I burned 144 calories and this time I burned 168. It was harder too. The 6 minutes seemed to take forever because there was no 'set' for me to look forward to or break until the end. I learned a long time ago when I was using the treadmill regularly that every once in awhile it is good to do the slow program to work on endurance as opposed to speed.
Today I am supposed to meet a lady in the ward for breakfast at 9:30- one of the plans that got scrapped while we were sick - so I didn't have a lot of time to workout but I knew I needed something to help counter all the calories that will be consumed this morning. My knees have been bothering me too and I know that it really isn't good to run every day. My body needs a break in between. I didn't have time for CardioX so I opted for Chicken Fat (a kid's exercise video) that is basically calisthenics and runs for about 15 minutes total. I finished, jumped in the shower, checked my messages and have been delayed 30 minutes. So, I hopped on an inclined treadmill and checking in. Love that I can walk and do computer at the same time :)
This week - 176.4
Not a big drop, but I have been a lot more liberal with my food intake - eating all the calories I'm given, whereas before I would leave a good amount. Plus I think there is always a bigger drop in the beginning as your body gets shocked into functioning on a higher level and then tapers off as it gets used to the new routine. And then there's the whole issue of womanhood. So, we'll see what happens next week. This is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall picture.
Yesterday I wanted to do a quick workout but up the anti a bit so I did the 4 mph treadmill program (which means 6 minutes of solid 4 mph) on an incline. I was curious whether the treadmill would take the incline into account and apparently it did because the last time I did the program I burned 144 calories and this time I burned 168. It was harder too. The 6 minutes seemed to take forever because there was no 'set' for me to look forward to or break until the end. I learned a long time ago when I was using the treadmill regularly that every once in awhile it is good to do the slow program to work on endurance as opposed to speed.
Today I am supposed to meet a lady in the ward for breakfast at 9:30- one of the plans that got scrapped while we were sick - so I didn't have a lot of time to workout but I knew I needed something to help counter all the calories that will be consumed this morning. My knees have been bothering me too and I know that it really isn't good to run every day. My body needs a break in between. I didn't have time for CardioX so I opted for Chicken Fat (a kid's exercise video) that is basically calisthenics and runs for about 15 minutes total. I finished, jumped in the shower, checked my messages and have been delayed 30 minutes. So, I hopped on an inclined treadmill and checking in. Love that I can walk and do computer at the same time :)
Monday, January 21, 2013
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake
Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake from skinnytaste.com
Made this for breakfast today. She says to add ice, but I actually preferred it without - especially considering it is cold in the house. I loved the thick texture before it got runny from the ice too. Maybe if I hadn't added as much ice or blended it too much it would have been better.
This is a good source of iron and protein too. Win!
Per serving:
Calories 105
Carbs 22
Fat 1
Protein 4
Iron 4
Fiber 3
Made this for breakfast today. She says to add ice, but I actually preferred it without - especially considering it is cold in the house. I loved the thick texture before it got runny from the ice too. Maybe if I hadn't added as much ice or blended it too much it would have been better.
This is a good source of iron and protein too. Win!
Per serving:
Calories 105
Carbs 22
Fat 1
Protein 4
Iron 4
Fiber 3
Weekend Recap
Despite the school holiday, I got up with Matthew at 6:30 and decided to keep up my routine. It is just barely 8 am and I'm on the treamill. LOVE this!
Friday I decided to take the plunge and do CardioX. Man that is such a good workout!! I felt so energized afterward and productive. I didn't want to sit down. I was certainly feeling it by the end of the day and Saturday my back was really sore - probably from the yoga and a few of the other exercises. I would have done it again today but I didn't feel like emptying the bedroom for the floor space. Instead, I opted for a 'quick' run on the treadmill but a stretch of my abilities: I did the 6 mph 20 min program.
This program is nice in that it bumps you up from 4.0 to 6 mph in .5 mph one minute increments and then after the 6.0 you drop to 3.0. whew. I talked myself through the last 30 seconds but I did it. I am amazed that I was able to manage the 6.0 easily when I was doing my 5K on the treadmill. I really was stronger when running outside even if I ran slower. Oh well. I am ok with doing the treadmill at this point. Balance....
I weighed myself on the Wii this morning and am only down .4 pounds = 176.4. I don't think I will see much of a weight drop on Wed but as long as it is still going down, that is progress. Considering how many days I have eaten over my calories it is not a surprise but man I have been craving the carbs!!
Friday I decided to take the plunge and do CardioX. Man that is such a good workout!! I felt so energized afterward and productive. I didn't want to sit down. I was certainly feeling it by the end of the day and Saturday my back was really sore - probably from the yoga and a few of the other exercises. I would have done it again today but I didn't feel like emptying the bedroom for the floor space. Instead, I opted for a 'quick' run on the treadmill but a stretch of my abilities: I did the 6 mph 20 min program.
This program is nice in that it bumps you up from 4.0 to 6 mph in .5 mph one minute increments and then after the 6.0 you drop to 3.0. whew. I talked myself through the last 30 seconds but I did it. I am amazed that I was able to manage the 6.0 easily when I was doing my 5K on the treadmill. I really was stronger when running outside even if I ran slower. Oh well. I am ok with doing the treadmill at this point. Balance....
I weighed myself on the Wii this morning and am only down .4 pounds = 176.4. I don't think I will see much of a weight drop on Wed but as long as it is still going down, that is progress. Considering how many days I have eaten over my calories it is not a surprise but man I have been craving the carbs!!
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Maxed out!!
Back in the Saddle!!
Woohoo!!! The house is empty once again! YAY!! In celebration I just completed the 5 mph program on the treadmill and burned 266 calories (my breakfast essentially). Now I am working on lunch by walking at a slower pace while typing. Love this!
I came to a realization recently that has greatly lifted a burden of guilt. Remember how excited the dog would get when it was time to go for a walk? He would bark and yip and jump. Today he did that at the prospect of going down to the basement with me to use the treadmill. I recently realized that he is just happy that he gets to be in the same room with me. As I spiraled in a funk *depression* over the last few months, I tucked myself into my room and didn't come out, cutting myself off from him and all other civilization. I think the dog is happy to have me back in whatever form he can get. And this knowledge puts my heart at ease.
I came to a realization recently that has greatly lifted a burden of guilt. Remember how excited the dog would get when it was time to go for a walk? He would bark and yip and jump. Today he did that at the prospect of going down to the basement with me to use the treadmill. I recently realized that he is just happy that he gets to be in the same room with me. As I spiraled in a funk *depression* over the last few months, I tucked myself into my room and didn't come out, cutting myself off from him and all other civilization. I think the dog is happy to have me back in whatever form he can get. And this knowledge puts my heart at ease.
Gingered Carrots
Gingered Carrots
adapted from Orange Gingered Carrots
Ingredients:
4-6 large carrots sliced into discs
2 TB butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions:
Steam carrots until tender. Mix in butter and allow to melt. Add ginger, mix, and serve.
adapted from Orange Gingered Carrots
Ingredients:
4-6 large carrots sliced into discs
2 TB butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Directions:
Steam carrots until tender. Mix in butter and allow to melt. Add ginger, mix, and serve.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Shasta's Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken
Slow cooker honey sesame chicken.
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs all fat removed.
Salt and pepper,
1 cup honey,
1/2 cup soy sauce,
1/2 cup diced white onion ( white for heat yellow for sweet or mild),
1/4 cup ketchup,
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil,
2 cloves fresh minced garlic or more,
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( just adds flavor doesn't really add heat but is optional),
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons water,
sesame seeds for garnish.
Instructions:
Season both sides of Chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cut Chicken into chunks add to bowl and stir.
Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 and a half or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot but leave the sauce.
Dissolve the 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and 6 tblspn of water and pour them into the crock pot. Stir to combine with remaining sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles with sauce.
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Now that I've had the final product, let me say that this was REALLY good - especially over brown rice with gingered carrots mixed in.
That being said, some commentary on the recipe: I have one of those crockpots with a timer, so I set mine on high for 4 hours then took the chicken out. My chicken had been frozen when I put it in, so maybe this made a difference in the end. It took almost the full 4 hours to cook. About 20 minutes before the end I took the chicken out and added the cornstarch. The sauce never thickened. I think if I were to make it again I would just add the cornstarch in the beginning. I was unable to sprinkle the sesame seeds on the chicken either, so I just sprinkled them into the sauce when I put the chicken back in the pot to serve.
Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs all fat removed.
Salt and pepper,
1 cup honey,
1/2 cup soy sauce,
1/2 cup diced white onion ( white for heat yellow for sweet or mild),
1/4 cup ketchup,
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil,
2 cloves fresh minced garlic or more,
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes ( just adds flavor doesn't really add heat but is optional),
4 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 6 tablespoons water,
sesame seeds for garnish.
Instructions:
Season both sides of Chicken with salt and pepper and set aside. In a large bowl combine honey, soy sauce, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cut Chicken into chunks add to bowl and stir.
Cook on low for 3 hours or high for 1 and a half or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from crock pot but leave the sauce.
Dissolve the 4 teaspoons of cornstarch and 6 tblspn of water and pour them into the crock pot. Stir to combine with remaining sauce. Replace lid and cook sauce on high for 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds and serve over rice or noodles with sauce.
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Now that I've had the final product, let me say that this was REALLY good - especially over brown rice with gingered carrots mixed in.
That being said, some commentary on the recipe: I have one of those crockpots with a timer, so I set mine on high for 4 hours then took the chicken out. My chicken had been frozen when I put it in, so maybe this made a difference in the end. It took almost the full 4 hours to cook. About 20 minutes before the end I took the chicken out and added the cornstarch. The sauce never thickened. I think if I were to make it again I would just add the cornstarch in the beginning. I was unable to sprinkle the sesame seeds on the chicken either, so I just sprinkled them into the sauce when I put the chicken back in the pot to serve.
Weigh in Week 2
Starting Weight - 184
Week 1 - 179.7
Today - 176.8
Woohoo! I am not convinced this is a healthy weight loss, but I imagine that such a dramatic change in diet and activity level makes it legit. I hope I can maintain my consistency.
The flu or whatever it is has made its rounds through the family. Jared stayed home Wed - Fri of last week and Aaron got sent home Monday. He was fever free this morning so I am crossing my fingers he'll be back in school tomorrow. We have had all kinds of fun in the kitchen, but I am missing my mornings on the treadmill. I haven't decided if it is my addiction to the computer or the alone time I need. A little of both, I am sure.
I have not been quite as vigilant about my food intake in that I am not measuring everything nor actively seeking the best food. After my meals last week with lots of squash, kale, and spinach I discovered that though a great diet high in iron, it makes my guts happy and want everyone to know it. Stink! I know I can not maintain such extreme vigilance long-term so it is probably good that I work on some balance.
I do love that kale - butternut squash quesadilla though so I have been trying to tweak so it won't cost 600 calories. Yesterday I made put the kale & squash together like I would for the quesadilla but then mixed it with rice, cilantro and cinnamon. Really enjoyed it but wasn't filling :/
I need my treadmill program so I can do some major calorie burning! or Just Dance on the Wii. I had a free redbox game rental last week. Sadly the day after I checked it out I was sick in bed. I kept it one more day so I could have a chance to play. I was on it for almost 2 hours and would have kept going but it needed turned in. I think I would play it if I actually owned it unlike the DDR. Either way, I've got to move it, move it!
Week 1 - 179.7
Today - 176.8
Woohoo! I am not convinced this is a healthy weight loss, but I imagine that such a dramatic change in diet and activity level makes it legit. I hope I can maintain my consistency.
The flu or whatever it is has made its rounds through the family. Jared stayed home Wed - Fri of last week and Aaron got sent home Monday. He was fever free this morning so I am crossing my fingers he'll be back in school tomorrow. We have had all kinds of fun in the kitchen, but I am missing my mornings on the treadmill. I haven't decided if it is my addiction to the computer or the alone time I need. A little of both, I am sure.
I have not been quite as vigilant about my food intake in that I am not measuring everything nor actively seeking the best food. After my meals last week with lots of squash, kale, and spinach I discovered that though a great diet high in iron, it makes my guts happy and want everyone to know it. Stink! I know I can not maintain such extreme vigilance long-term so it is probably good that I work on some balance.
I do love that kale - butternut squash quesadilla though so I have been trying to tweak so it won't cost 600 calories. Yesterday I made put the kale & squash together like I would for the quesadilla but then mixed it with rice, cilantro and cinnamon. Really enjoyed it but wasn't filling :/
I need my treadmill program so I can do some major calorie burning! or Just Dance on the Wii. I had a free redbox game rental last week. Sadly the day after I checked it out I was sick in bed. I kept it one more day so I could have a chance to play. I was on it for almost 2 hours and would have kept going but it needed turned in. I think I would play it if I actually owned it unlike the DDR. Either way, I've got to move it, move it!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Baked Chocolate Donuts
There is a Dunkin Donuts the boys pass every day to and from school. For weeks Aaron has said that his after-school bus driver was going to take them to DD one day. We all know that isn't going to happen and even Aaron knows now too. Today he requested DD once again so I decided to try and make some instead.
Growing up we fried the canned biscuits to make donuts. I don't have any on hand and I really don't feel like having a huge pot of oil sitting around for one whimsical experiment. But as I searched for recipes I discovered baked donuts. I debated between Baked Vanilla Donuts and Triple Chocolate Whole Grain Baked donuts. I gave Aaron the choice and of course he wanted chocolate! (He is related to his gma for sure!) I decided the recipes were similar enough that I used the vanilla recipe but added 3 TB of cocoa powder to the mix and 2 TB of mint & dark chocolate chips. I don't have a donut pan so just spooned them into a muffin pan using an ice cream scoop. It made 8 'donuts' - 4 with mint & chips and 4 just batter. I don't think I will frost them. They smell delicious!
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| Aaron waiting for donuts to cool |
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| Aaron approved!! |
New week and Oatmeal in a Jar
Last night I was feeling so great I felt I could begin cardioX today. I debated this morning, but finally opted for the treadmill. I like the freedom of being able to exercise and do my computer time together. I'm hoping this way I can be a more productive member of the household as a result. I felt I wanted to run but I have had a hard enough time breathing still that I thought that would not be a wise choice so I did the pace at 3.0 and up to 4.0 for just a little bit. I went 1.77 miles in 35:24 burned 240 - basically my breakfast.
Breakfast - YUM! I had oatmeal in a jar from skinnytaste.com. This is the recipe I used though:
1/4 c. reg oats
1/2 c. milk
1 TB craisins
1/4 banana diced
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinn to taste
Put in a container that can be lidded, close it, shake, and let it sit over night.
I was impressed with the great flavor it had. I am considering making a larger batch because I am betting that Aaron would like it. It is similar to a meusli recipe but not so nutty and crunchy.
Breakfast - YUM! I had oatmeal in a jar from skinnytaste.com. This is the recipe I used though:
1/4 c. reg oats
1/2 c. milk
1 TB craisins
1/4 banana diced
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinn to taste
Put in a container that can be lidded, close it, shake, and let it sit over night.
I was impressed with the great flavor it had. I am considering making a larger batch because I am betting that Aaron would like it. It is similar to a meusli recipe but not so nutty and crunchy.
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