I am so loving the Pinterest recipes I have been trying! Tonight was Tortellini Soup.
Here is the link to the original recipe. But again, I changed a few things. http://littlefellows.blogspot.com/2011/11/best-crockpot-meal-ive-tried-yet.html
Here is what I did:
1 Roll of Bob Evans Pork Breakfast Sausage
1- 19 oz bag Tortellini (cheese filled)
2- 15 oz. cans Italian style diced tomatoes
5 1/2 C. chicken broth
1 block 1/3 less fat cream cheese
2 1/2 tbsp. nonfat greek yogurt
1 bag fresh baby spinach
Easiest meal ever. Brown the sausage. Add all ingredients to the crockpot and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serves 4-6. I think next time I would wait until about half way through cooking to add the pasta. Ours was just a bit overdone, but the flavors were so delicious. I suggest you try it for sure!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
What's for dinner?
Ok, so I have to post what I made for dinner tonight. It was super easy, and absolutely amazing!
I made Spinach and Black Bean enchiladas. Vegetarian, and filled with amazingly healthy ingredients.
Organic no salt added vegetable broth, low sodium black beans, fresh baby spinach, corn and shredded cheese. I got the recipe from a post on Pinterest, here is the link for it, http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2012/03/black-bean-spinach-enchiladas.html
I tweaked the recipe a bit. Here's what I did:
The sauce: I followed the recipe.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 C. tomato paste
1/4 C. flour
2 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder (I missed adding this, would have been that added zest and I will add the next time.)
3 C. Vegetable broth
Salt and Pepper
Heat the oil, add the tomato paste, flour and all the spices. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the 3 C. of Vegetable broth, whisking between each addition so it won't clump. (I had a real issue with clumping in mine.) Make sure it's all incorporated before you add more broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375.
What I did for the filling:
1 can low sodium black beans
2 C. frozen corn (lightly thawed)
2 C. fresh baby spinach
3 C. shredded cheese
2 tsp. Cumin
10 whole wheat tortillas
Saute the spinach until wilted, add in the corn and saute until heated through. In a big mixing bowl, add the beans, the corn, the spinach, 2 C. of the cheese and the cumin. Mix up. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray, pour a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Enough to cover it, set aside the rest. Next put a line of the filling in a tortilla, roll it up, place each roll seam side down in the pan. Cover with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly.
It was phenomenal. We loved them. I can't wait to make them again!
I made Spinach and Black Bean enchiladas. Vegetarian, and filled with amazingly healthy ingredients.
Organic no salt added vegetable broth, low sodium black beans, fresh baby spinach, corn and shredded cheese. I got the recipe from a post on Pinterest, here is the link for it, http://www.thegardengrazer.com/2012/03/black-bean-spinach-enchiladas.html
I tweaked the recipe a bit. Here's what I did:
The sauce: I followed the recipe.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 C. tomato paste
1/4 C. flour
2 tsp. Cumin
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. chili powder (I missed adding this, would have been that added zest and I will add the next time.)
3 C. Vegetable broth
Salt and Pepper
Heat the oil, add the tomato paste, flour and all the spices. Cook for 1 minute. Slowly add the 3 C. of Vegetable broth, whisking between each addition so it won't clump. (I had a real issue with clumping in mine.) Make sure it's all incorporated before you add more broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375.
What I did for the filling:
1 can low sodium black beans
2 C. frozen corn (lightly thawed)
2 C. fresh baby spinach
3 C. shredded cheese
2 tsp. Cumin
10 whole wheat tortillas
Saute the spinach until wilted, add in the corn and saute until heated through. In a big mixing bowl, add the beans, the corn, the spinach, 2 C. of the cheese and the cumin. Mix up. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray, pour a small amount of sauce in the bottom of the pan. Enough to cover it, set aside the rest. Next put a line of the filling in a tortilla, roll it up, place each roll seam side down in the pan. Cover with remaining sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, until bubbly.
It was phenomenal. We loved them. I can't wait to make them again!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
6th Weigh-in
I think that this is my sixth weigh-in. So that means in 6 weeks, I have lost 7 pounds total.
At this weeks weigh-in I lost 4 of the 5 pounds I gained last week.
I'm torn, do I applaud myself for losing 4 pounds, or feel still slightly saddened that I am up 1.
I was really hoping to have been further along in my weight loss than I am at this moment. 6 weeks, and I have only lost 7 pounds. This is why I hate the scale.
I think that I may make my weigh ins every other week. While I did lose this week, I still feel like I didn't do enough to have lost all of the weight I gained. I think if I weigh-in every other week, it will give me and my body a chance to see results in a more timely manner. I think it will make me feel less stressed out about it all.
My clothes feel bigger, I feel like I look smaller, but the scale just doesn't say the same thing. I hate that thing.
Current Stats:
Weight: 211
Calories: 1,471
Pounds lost: 7
Pounds left: 61
At this weeks weigh-in I lost 4 of the 5 pounds I gained last week.
I'm torn, do I applaud myself for losing 4 pounds, or feel still slightly saddened that I am up 1.
I was really hoping to have been further along in my weight loss than I am at this moment. 6 weeks, and I have only lost 7 pounds. This is why I hate the scale.
I think that I may make my weigh ins every other week. While I did lose this week, I still feel like I didn't do enough to have lost all of the weight I gained. I think if I weigh-in every other week, it will give me and my body a chance to see results in a more timely manner. I think it will make me feel less stressed out about it all.
My clothes feel bigger, I feel like I look smaller, but the scale just doesn't say the same thing. I hate that thing.
Current Stats:
Weight: 211
Calories: 1,471
Pounds lost: 7
Pounds left: 61
Friday, February 22, 2013
My Week
I know, I know. It's been a while since I wrote a new post. Since my last weigh-in I just didn't know what to talk about. I tried changing up my diet this week to see if it helped. I guess I will see tomorrow if it does anything.
I still look in the mirror and don't see a 215 pound person. I don't feel like I look that "big". I hate the the scale runs the show, but I guess I still need to use it to measure my progress. Suck.
I've been subbing almost everyday this week, and when I wasn't I was working on writing the novel I have started. I write, my dad edits, and then I move on to the next chapter. I really hope that I can get it published, I think it's really getting good!
Because I have so many hobbies that I love doing sometimes things fall through the cracks a bit. Sadly knitting and blogging have done that in the last couple of weeks. I have been so lost in my characters lives and where they are going to go, I forget that I have people who have been enjoying reading about my journey through this lifestyle change.
Tomorrow I weigh in again. I am pretty nervous about it, especially after last weekend. I'm afraid that the number won't go down again, or that it'll go up again. I wait with bated breath as I step on that scale and see the number that I allow to define me.
Made a meatless pasta dish for dinner, full of spinach, green bell peppers, onions and garlic. Just a touch of salt, and pepper and a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It was a delicious Lenten meal.
I think I am done for the night, I will write again in the morning after my dreaded weigh-in...
I still look in the mirror and don't see a 215 pound person. I don't feel like I look that "big". I hate the the scale runs the show, but I guess I still need to use it to measure my progress. Suck.
I've been subbing almost everyday this week, and when I wasn't I was working on writing the novel I have started. I write, my dad edits, and then I move on to the next chapter. I really hope that I can get it published, I think it's really getting good!
Because I have so many hobbies that I love doing sometimes things fall through the cracks a bit. Sadly knitting and blogging have done that in the last couple of weeks. I have been so lost in my characters lives and where they are going to go, I forget that I have people who have been enjoying reading about my journey through this lifestyle change.
Tomorrow I weigh in again. I am pretty nervous about it, especially after last weekend. I'm afraid that the number won't go down again, or that it'll go up again. I wait with bated breath as I step on that scale and see the number that I allow to define me.
Made a meatless pasta dish for dinner, full of spinach, green bell peppers, onions and garlic. Just a touch of salt, and pepper and a little sprinkle of parmesan cheese. It was a delicious Lenten meal.
I think I am done for the night, I will write again in the morning after my dreaded weigh-in...
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Weigh-in
Here we are again, time for the monthly bloat that leaves me feeling like Violet Bauregaurd from Willy Wonka. For 7-10 days I put on 5 pounds of who knows what.
It's a wonderful thing to be a woman.
Not.
So here I am, feeling like a failure, because my body put on 5 pounds in a week.
I thought I was doing so well this week. I was active, and ate right. I thought I could avoid it, but it was inevitable.
Oh well.
Done writing for today.
Current weight 215.
Fail.
It's a wonderful thing to be a woman.
Not.
So here I am, feeling like a failure, because my body put on 5 pounds in a week.
I thought I was doing so well this week. I was active, and ate right. I thought I could avoid it, but it was inevitable.
Oh well.
Done writing for today.
Current weight 215.
Fail.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
It's been a while
So I realize I've been neglecting to post in the last few days. I find that sometimes when I don't have things to say, my posts just ramble, and you're all left wondering why you clicked my link.
Today I am writing for 2 reasons. The first is because I wanted to post a new picture of me on the 7th of each month to track my progress. But since I forgot it was the 7th on the actual 7th, I took one this morning with my phone and am posting today. It's not a great picture (quality wise) but at least you can tell its me.
The other thing I wanted to talk about was the way that girls in middle and high school see their bodies.
I substituted yesterday, in the classroom I was in, I overheard a 7th grade girl talk about how she had lost 4 pounds, and wanted to lose 10 more. I looked over at this girl, who is a very healthy weight, and asked her to repeat what she said. She then proceeded to tell me that she weighed 114 pounds, and she wanted to be no more than 100. For a girl who was about 3 inches shorter than I was, weighing 100 pounds were make her look like she was ill.
It bothered me that poor self image started with this girl already. I told her what I would have told anyone in that situation. At her age her body is going through so many changes, that weight will fluctuate. I told her that my poor self image started at her age and that I still struggle with it everyday. She was a beautiful girl, who was a very healthy weight. If she wanted to be healthy, she should eat better foods (I.e. veggies, fruits, lean meats, etc) and to do light exercise to stay active. I'm sure she didn't care about what I had to say. But I said it anyway, and hopefully I said something that will stick with her.
Would you have done the same thing?
Today I am writing for 2 reasons. The first is because I wanted to post a new picture of me on the 7th of each month to track my progress. But since I forgot it was the 7th on the actual 7th, I took one this morning with my phone and am posting today. It's not a great picture (quality wise) but at least you can tell its me.
The other thing I wanted to talk about was the way that girls in middle and high school see their bodies.
I substituted yesterday, in the classroom I was in, I overheard a 7th grade girl talk about how she had lost 4 pounds, and wanted to lose 10 more. I looked over at this girl, who is a very healthy weight, and asked her to repeat what she said. She then proceeded to tell me that she weighed 114 pounds, and she wanted to be no more than 100. For a girl who was about 3 inches shorter than I was, weighing 100 pounds were make her look like she was ill.
It bothered me that poor self image started with this girl already. I told her what I would have told anyone in that situation. At her age her body is going through so many changes, that weight will fluctuate. I told her that my poor self image started at her age and that I still struggle with it everyday. She was a beautiful girl, who was a very healthy weight. If she wanted to be healthy, she should eat better foods (I.e. veggies, fruits, lean meats, etc) and to do light exercise to stay active. I'm sure she didn't care about what I had to say. But I said it anyway, and hopefully I said something that will stick with her.
Would you have done the same thing?
Saturday, February 9, 2013
5th Weigh-in
Couldn't be happier... Well maybe I could, if I had lost some.
But I didn't gain!
That is what I was worried about. I thought for sure I would have gained. I guess this week I am kicking my rear into gear to get this jump started. Thankfully we have no holidays or parties that we are going to. As much as I try and resist temptations of appetizers and yummy desserts.. I just can't my family is filled with great cooks!
But still I didn't gain! Same weight as last week!
Current Weight (Still): 210
If you need the rest of my stats, just check last weeks post :)
But I didn't gain!
That is what I was worried about. I thought for sure I would have gained. I guess this week I am kicking my rear into gear to get this jump started. Thankfully we have no holidays or parties that we are going to. As much as I try and resist temptations of appetizers and yummy desserts.. I just can't my family is filled with great cooks!
But still I didn't gain! Same weight as last week!
Current Weight (Still): 210
If you need the rest of my stats, just check last weeks post :)
Friday, February 8, 2013
Feeling the Fat
Feeling very nervous about my weigh-in tomorrow. I feel like, because of the poor eating I did over the weekend, I have probably gained some pounds.
Such a disappointment.
I know that it's just one week, and I can do better this weekend and during the week to lose at the next weigh-in, but I still can't help but feel like I have let myself down.
I need to wait until I weigh-in to see the true results, but sometimes you just know.
Dinner tonight was pretty low cal. Crock Pot Beer Chicken is 123 calories per piece of chicken, then we had a little bit of mashed potatoes (no gravy or butter) and some green beans. Well rounded and very tasty.
I almost feel like skipping this weigh-in and having a do-over week... but that is not part of this plan.
Oh well, I guess I could be pleasantly surprised tomorrow, maybe I will be the same weight that I was last week.
Was going to indulge in a glass of wine, today was a long day, but I won't... too many calories.
Apple and hot tea.
Such a disappointment.
I know that it's just one week, and I can do better this weekend and during the week to lose at the next weigh-in, but I still can't help but feel like I have let myself down.
I need to wait until I weigh-in to see the true results, but sometimes you just know.
Dinner tonight was pretty low cal. Crock Pot Beer Chicken is 123 calories per piece of chicken, then we had a little bit of mashed potatoes (no gravy or butter) and some green beans. Well rounded and very tasty.
I almost feel like skipping this weigh-in and having a do-over week... but that is not part of this plan.
Oh well, I guess I could be pleasantly surprised tomorrow, maybe I will be the same weight that I was last week.
Was going to indulge in a glass of wine, today was a long day, but I won't... too many calories.
Apple and hot tea.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Being Sick Messes with my Skill
I have really come to hate teaching for one single reason... being CONSTANTLY sick. I have not built up my immunity yet to the common cold that I have had a few times this school year.
I have to say the most irritating thing about this cold is not the congestion, or the occasional cough attack, it's the fact that I have lost the ability to cook well.
I tried making lunch for myself today... well that was interesting. I had a couple squares of pizza left over from this weekend, I read somewhere that heating it up in a skillet helped keep the crust crispy. So I thought "Oh, hey, yeah, I can totally try that one!" yeah... My crust was crispy alright.. and black.. along with the cheese on it. So I threw that away. I looked in the fridge and saw the left over Chicken Stroganoff I cooked Friday last week. Did some mental math, called my mom to make sure it would still be ok, and then cooked up a small bowl. With my stuffy nose, it really didn't taste good, so I threw that away too. Finally I saw some shredded swiss and corned beef from the deli on the fridge. I decided to make a reuben! Can't screw that up right?! ...yeahhhh...
I had the heat on low, sprayed the pan, light light light amounts of butter on the bread to grill it. I went to the bathroom for LITERALLY 10 seconds to get a hair tie, went back to my sandwich, BURNED! One side was black as black! So I turned off the heat, and took off the burned piece of bread. I switched it out and tried again. Once again, I burned the other side, and just decided Eff it! I ate it anyway.
Thankfully my wonderful Mom came home and cooked dinner. If it were up to me we probably would have had to go out to eat because I probably would've burned the place down.
This cold needs to go away simply because I love cooking and clearly have no ability to do so when I am sick.
Time for dinner, cooked by someone else, and it smells delicious!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Post Super Bowl Blah...
Oh man. Last night was quite the game, during the black out I called it! I knew that the 49ers would come back... I didn't say they would win, but I predicted that they would close the gap!
The game was definitely a good one. You know what else was good? The food table... We had 3 rounds of food (4 if you count dessert). First round was Pickle Dip, Tex-Mex Dip, chips, crackers etc. Then we had Dog Food Biscuits, Ribs, Reuben Dip, Deviled Eggs with Pancetta, and more chips and crackers. Third round was Shrimp, with an array of sauces, more Dog Food Biscuits, and Chicken Tenders. For dessert we had Banana Cream Cookies, Brownies, Yellow Cake Mix Cookies, and Brownies... we also had vanilla frozen yogurt.
I tried not to go crazy with the food, there were a lot of things I didn't eat. But the dips are always my favorite. I had some Tex-Mex, Pickle Dip, Deviled Eggs, Dog Food Biscuits, Cookies and a few crackers and chips.
Today is a detox day... bland foods with low calories. I had way too much to eat yesterday. If I don't lose this week I hope I at least didn't gain.
We laughed so much last night, I had to have burned a few calories. We always laugh a lot when we are with our second family.
But that doesn't stop the sluggish feeling I have this morning. Doesn't help that I didn't go to bed until 11 and had to be up around 6. While that seems like a lot of sleep to some, I need more than that to function. But I will make it through my day, and then come home and go to sleep!
The game was definitely a good one. You know what else was good? The food table... We had 3 rounds of food (4 if you count dessert). First round was Pickle Dip, Tex-Mex Dip, chips, crackers etc. Then we had Dog Food Biscuits, Ribs, Reuben Dip, Deviled Eggs with Pancetta, and more chips and crackers. Third round was Shrimp, with an array of sauces, more Dog Food Biscuits, and Chicken Tenders. For dessert we had Banana Cream Cookies, Brownies, Yellow Cake Mix Cookies, and Brownies... we also had vanilla frozen yogurt.
I tried not to go crazy with the food, there were a lot of things I didn't eat. But the dips are always my favorite. I had some Tex-Mex, Pickle Dip, Deviled Eggs, Dog Food Biscuits, Cookies and a few crackers and chips.
Today is a detox day... bland foods with low calories. I had way too much to eat yesterday. If I don't lose this week I hope I at least didn't gain.
We laughed so much last night, I had to have burned a few calories. We always laugh a lot when we are with our second family.
But that doesn't stop the sluggish feeling I have this morning. Doesn't help that I didn't go to bed until 11 and had to be up around 6. While that seems like a lot of sleep to some, I need more than that to function. But I will make it through my day, and then come home and go to sleep!
Saturday, February 2, 2013
4th Weigh-in
This week I was worried about the weigh-in.
After not losing last week, I tried eating a bit lighter this week.
I have an apple for dessert every night, I usually have it with a little peanut butter. I cut out the peanut butter this week and had Lite Cool Whip instead. 20 calories for the same amount! I didn't ACTUALLY exercise this week, but I did track my motion with Nexercise while I worked and found that I am moving around a lot during the day. That helped me level up a few times, and burn a few hundred calories a day :)
I even had Chinese food during the week on day... not the best of choices, but it had been a while and it was good.
I didn't once go over my calories, and I cooked the rest of the week. Not being at home during the day helped me a lot this week. If I am not at home, I don't snack.
So anyway... back to my weigh-in.
Drumroll.
I lost 4 pounds this week!
My current stats:
Current Weight: 210
Pounds Lost: 8
Pounds to go: 60
Current Calorie Allowance: 1,464
I couldn't believe it when I stepped on the scale. I was sure either I was the same or just lost 1 pound. But I never imagined that I had lost 4 pounds!!! That is just amazing to me.
I have gotten a new motivation. Sunday, Superbowl day, day of appetizers and party food, is worrying me a bit. I just need to remember to take it slow and not gorge myself with the bad stuff. (maybe)
Thank you to everyone who reads this, it helps keep me motivated. I feel like you are all celebrating with me when I lose weight, disappointed with me when I don't. Thank you for following my ups and downs, and turning into faithful readers. It makes this journey worth doing. It makes this blog worth writing, and I appreciate you all for it.
After not losing last week, I tried eating a bit lighter this week.
I have an apple for dessert every night, I usually have it with a little peanut butter. I cut out the peanut butter this week and had Lite Cool Whip instead. 20 calories for the same amount! I didn't ACTUALLY exercise this week, but I did track my motion with Nexercise while I worked and found that I am moving around a lot during the day. That helped me level up a few times, and burn a few hundred calories a day :)
I even had Chinese food during the week on day... not the best of choices, but it had been a while and it was good.
I didn't once go over my calories, and I cooked the rest of the week. Not being at home during the day helped me a lot this week. If I am not at home, I don't snack.
So anyway... back to my weigh-in.
Drumroll.
I lost 4 pounds this week!
My current stats:
Current Weight: 210
Pounds Lost: 8
Pounds to go: 60
Current Calorie Allowance: 1,464
I couldn't believe it when I stepped on the scale. I was sure either I was the same or just lost 1 pound. But I never imagined that I had lost 4 pounds!!! That is just amazing to me.
I have gotten a new motivation. Sunday, Superbowl day, day of appetizers and party food, is worrying me a bit. I just need to remember to take it slow and not gorge myself with the bad stuff. (maybe)
Thank you to everyone who reads this, it helps keep me motivated. I feel like you are all celebrating with me when I lose weight, disappointed with me when I don't. Thank you for following my ups and downs, and turning into faithful readers. It makes this journey worth doing. It makes this blog worth writing, and I appreciate you all for it.
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