I'm Seeing RED

Today is National Wear Red Day to support the Go RED for women program. I made broaches for my mom and I this year, red and silver with a heart on them. Every year hundreds of thousands of women die due to heart disease and 90 percent of those deaths were preventable. Scary! I don't want to be a statistic, that's why I am losing weight and making healthier choices. Thirty minutes a day of activity (a walk, dancing with your kids, etc) will improve your heart health. Not smoking and limiting fried foods will also reduce your risk factors.

A couple of months ago I got a recipe from a great blog, Owlhaven. I love, love, love her blog. She has no idea how much I admire her and envy her kitchen. But anyway, she posted a recipe called Thai Beef Chard Wraps. It sounded good and so I tried it out on my family. Course, I changed it up a bit, but the basics were from her. So I gave the link to the original recipe above and below is my own version of it. It is so easy and so YUMMY! It is also very very healthy.

Thai Turkey Wraps

1 lb. of ground turkey breast
1/4 c. of soy sauce
1.5 c of shredded carrots
Olive oil (just enough to keep the turkey from sticking)
Onion flakes (my kids won't eat it if they can see the onion)
Pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic
1 head of red romaine lettuce

Heat oil, onion and garlic in skillet. Add and brown the turkey. Once the turkey is cooked through remove it from the skillet (leave as much of the juice in there as possible). If you don't have a lot of juices then I usually add a little more olive oil and then throw those carrots in. You won't need to cook them for long, you want them to stay a little crunchy. After you get the carrots to your desired cookedness then add the turkey back in. Then add your soy sauce and get everything tumbled together.

I use red romaine instead of chard but really you can use whatever lettuce wrappings you like. I was off the whole head of lettuce and pull all leaves off. I pat them dry and we're ready to wrap.

My kids like this because they get to wrap up their food and they eat so much lettuce, it's shocking really. Usually there is just enough left me the next day for lunch. If I am in a hurry and don't want to wrap them up, I tear up the remaining lettuce leaves, warm up the turkey mix and have a warm "salad" and eat it with a fork.

My version is a little different than Owlhaven's but both are good. I have used different veggies too. The first time I put carrots, cauliflower and red bell pepper in it. That was good too. Be creative and pack those veggies in. My kids love it!

The recipe as it is above the whole pan is only 615 calories, 5 fat grams, 21 carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 116 grams of protein!!! Fabulously good and healthy. The more veggies the higher the fiber without adding tons of calories.

We have enough to deal with everyday with laundry, cleaning, child rearing and blogging to have to worry about heart health or remember to take a hand full of pills. Making some simple changes everyday can add years to your life.

Heart Tip of the Day: Eat chocolate! I love this one, its my favorite heart healthy tip! Dark chocolate has heart healthy "stuff" (I know I am so technical and you are so impressed) and has shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Milk chocolate doesn't have the same effect, so look for the 60-70% dark chocolate. Satisfy that sweet tooth and don't feel guilty! Remember the old saying "everything in moderation"~~that holds true to this. Over eating anything isn't good for you, so keep that in mind~~even with our beloved chocolate.

YUM, YUM, First Recipe of the New Year!!

I have been on a serious hunt to find this family some new, healthy, satisfying recipes! I have actually come up with several, probaby enough to have two new meals a week!! I made one of those new recipes last night and it was YUM-O! I got the recipe off of Spark Recipes, there are TONS of recipes over there and they all have the nutritional info with them, which is the main reason I love the site so much. I am not usually a big sausage eater, I mean if I'm going to have pork it's going to be bacon, but this sounded so good!! Here goes:

Easy Sausage Veggie Balls

Ingredients:

1 package Ground Hot Italian Sausage
1 cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
2 tbsp Chives
1/2 tsp Sage
1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
Pinch of Onion Powder
Pinch of Black Pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2) Spray nonstick cooking oil on a cookie sheet

3) Slice tomatoes in half and squeeze juices out over the sink before dicing them. This will prevent meatballs from being too watery

4) Mix all ingredients together (with hands) and roll into 6 balls

5) Place balls on cookie sheet and bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes.


Number of Servings: 6

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user BLUESUNSHINEFL. (me giving credit where credit is due)

Number of Servings: 6

Now, I had to cook mine a little longer, but that could just be my obsessive desire to make sure all our meat is thoroughly cooked through. I'm funny like that. I ate them alone, but you could have a side of your choice. I also forgot tomatoes, so no tomatoes in there for us, but I did quick steam some shredded cabbage (about a half cup) and threw it in there.

Because of one sick kid, one picky kid and one kid that couldn't wait until dinner to eat (he ate a Graduate meal and went to bed early), I am the only one that ate them. Hubs worked until 10 last night so he just had a snack when he got home. I thought up something delicious for lunch today with one leftover ball (there are two more in the fridge). I took it out, smashed it up and heated it up. I sliced an apple. I took two slices and sliced them very thin. I pulled out a whole wheat tortilla, layered on the thin apples slices and the smashed up, warm sausage ball and rolled it up. DELISH!! One the side I ate the rest of the apple. So good and so healthy. Two meals from one recipe, I like that.

Frugaltivity of this meal:
$2.25 Sausage
$2.00 Ricotta cheese (didn't use the whole container)~~$.150
$1.00 Frozen Spinach (didn't use whole bag)~~$0.40
I had all the spices already and cabbage left from another meal.
Total: $4.15 approximately $0.70 per serving YAY!!!

And yes, frugaltivity is my own word. Thank you. No applause necessary.

Nutritional Info

• Servings Per Recipe: 6
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 145.1

• Total Fat: 8.5 g
• Cholesterol: 44.5 mg
• Sodium: 80.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 5.6 g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.0 g
• Protein: 4.7 g

And YUM-O Is It's Name, OH!

Since I am back on track with the Great Slim Down of '09 and I am tired of the same ol' meals, I started looking for a new recipe. I happened upon one that sounded really good, easy and only required one dish. That is my type of meal baby. I wanted something filling, low in calories, high in protein and YUM-O and I got it. In keeping with bloggy love, I feel I should pass this recipe onto all of you. I did tweak it a bit, so I will post what I actually made and not the original.

Unstuffed Cabbage

Ingredients

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 large jar mild salsa (medium for those who like a hotter taste)
1 1/2 package shredded cabbage (cole slaw mix 10 oz pkg.)
2 cups water
2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

Directions
Brown meat and onion in large skillet on medium-high until meat is cooked through.

Add salsa and cole slaw mix; stir. Reduce heat to simmer; cover tightly. Cook 25 to 30 minutes or until cabbage is tender.

Stir in water and rice; bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat; stir and cover. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Number of Servings: 8

I doubled the recipe and we had a LOT of food. The ingredients and amounts above are what I used, so for a regular amount, half it. It was great! My family really liked it and because I have a veggie monster (Makiah) in my house we had broccoli on the side, you wouldn't need to though. I also added pepper to mine because I like peppery food.

Here is the nutritional value for it, if you are interested in that sort of thing.
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 258.2
Total Fat: 10.2 g
Cholesterol: 39.1 mg
Sodium: 428.6 mg
Total Carbs: 25.9 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.1 g
Protein: 14.2 g

For more great recipes, check out Spark Recipes.

Over here is an update post, a post with play-doh and a poll, go check it out. Please and thank you.

My Crock Pot and I Have Fallen in Love

It has become my best friend. My ultimate time saver. My sanity-saving, dinner is actually done, very best friend.

I used to be an occasional crock pot user. Pot roast and Mexican beef was pretty much the only time I used it. Then I became wise. I started thinking up things that would cook all by themselves in my pretty red crock pot, while I was doing something else. So I decided on Curry Chicken with Potatoes. Then came the Hawaiian Chicken. Two successes in the crock pot. My mind began to wonder the things that could be done in this, formerly under-appreciated kitchen appliance.

I know, I know, there are dozens of recipes for the slow cooker, I'm getting there. Ok?

So one day while I in the midst of my sorta-kinda bloggity break I was packing (which was the reason for the bloggity break) and I desparately needed dinner to cook itself. I had chicken on hand, but we had just had curry chicken the week before. So I decided to just put something together as I went. Here is how it went:

1 Can of chicken broth
3 Frozen Chicken breasts
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Several dashes of Ground Lemon Peel
Several dashes of Rosemary
A sprinkle of Thyme

Cover and cook on high for four and a half hours (cut this time if the chicken is already thawed out), you know cook it till it's done. I know I didn't give exact measurements on the spices and herbs, but do that to your taste.

Peal potatoes, however many you need for your brood, layer on top of the almost cooked chicken. Sprinkle a little more lemon peel, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cover and cook until the potatoes are done.

Serve with a steamer bag of veggies of your choice (or alone if you and veggies don't agree). We had brussel sprouts along with it.

YUMMY!! It's now an official meal with a title: Lemon Rosemary Chicken and Potatoes. I didn't say it would be unique, just titled. I spent my creativity on the food, not the title.

I literally put that list of ingredients in, in the order they are listed. This chicken was delicious, a major crowd pleaser, even the kids ate it and liked it. Best news of all, I got to work while my crock pot was cooking my dinner.

So now I consider myself a habitual crock pot chef. That's right, I throw it in and it cooks it. We work well together, don't ya think??

Now all I need is one of those fancy crock pots with a timer! ~~Smile~~

Delightful, Healthy and Super Easy!

Last night for supper the Lovelocks enjoyed what I have dubbed Valerie's Hawaiian Chicken. I twittered about it and had some request the recipe. Since I haven't finished my other post, I decided to post a recipe today. It is cooked in the crock pot (which is probably my closet kitchen friend) and it is super easy.

Valerie's Hawaiian Chicken

Indgredients:
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, fresh or thawed out
1 Bottle of Lawry's Hawaiian Marinade
1 16 oz bag of frozen Sugar Snap Peas (I prefer Bird's Eye Steamer bag)
1 Can of chunk pineapple (optional)
1 Can of chicken broth
Brown rice (as much as your family eats)

1. Turn crock pot onto the warm setting, cover the bottom of crock with chicken broth. You only actually need a half of a can. Pour about 1/3 of the bottle of marinade into the chicken broth, stir and cover with lid.

2. In a mixing bowl, cover the chicken breasts with marinade (don't use it all, but most of what is left). Make sure they are coated, cover bowl and place in fridge for about an hour.

3. After the hour is up, put chicken and the marinade from the bowl into the crock pot. Make sure the chicken is covered in juice. If it's not then add a little more broth. Cover.

4. Turn up crock pot up to high. Cook on high for one hour.

5. Turn crock pot down to low and cook for two more hours.

6. At 45 minutes before the chicken is done, steam the sugar snap peas in the microwave. Drain the water and pour steamed veggies into the crock pot. At this time add the can of pineapple (if you choose, just as yummy without it) and the remainder of marinade.

7. Cook your brown rice.

8. Serve chicken mix over the rice! YUM!!

Now, there are some variations to this. If you need more chicken (more people to feed) then use two bottles of marinade and a whole can of broth. You can also cook the chicken on low the whole time you just need to add about a hour and a half to your cook time. Enjoy!!

Now, I must go work on some packing!! So much stuff, so little time.

A Little Food

What would heart health month be without adding in a couple of heart healthy recipes. Today I want to throw out a recipe for those green leafy's I was talking about on day one. I really like green leafy veggies and I typically pair them with lean grilled chicken. If you like fish, then salmon, mahi mahi, or trout is always an option. I also mentioned slipping some spinach into your lasagna, spaghetti or ravioli. I really like spinach in my pasta, especially lasagna or cheese ravioli.

For those unsure of where to begin with those green leafy's, here's a really easy recipe that I got from Spark Recipes and our family really enjoyed it. We had it with a lightly seasoned (no salt) chicken breast and cauliflower.

Sauteed Garlic and Greens

Swiss chard is a heart-healthy leafy green that everyone should include in their diet. This recipe is an excellent source of calcium, so you'll build bone with every bite.

33 Minutes to Prepare and Cook

Ingredients

6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
16 c (packed) stemmed and roughly chopped Swiss chard (about 5 large bunches)
1/2 tsp red-pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt


Directions

1. Heat garlic and oil in large skillet over medium-low heat until garlic begins to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside.
2. Place greens, red-pepper flakes, and salt into the skillet. Using tongs, turn greens until wilted enough to fit in pan. Raise heat to medium and cover. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, tossing.
3. Transfer greens to a colander to drain. Return greens to pan and toss with reserved garlic and oil mixture.
Refrigerate leftover greens in an airtight container for up to 3 days.


Number of Servings: 8

You can use a different green leafy veggie if you like, it works well with any!

Here is another recipe that my family enjoyed, also from Spark Recipes.

Yummy and Healthy--You Got It A New Recipe

I am writing a HUGE post for tomorrow, so all you get today is a new recipe. On my long list of goals for 2009, I included that I plan to try one new recipe a week, at least. When I find a good one, I want to pass it along. I made this one on Monday night and we really enjoyed it. I did add a couple of spices to it, because we like things with a lot of seasonings.

Spinach and Beef Bake

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes (@600g) cooked and sliced 1/4" thick
2 tblsp 40% margarine, melted
1/4 cup onion chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
8 1/2 oz (250 grams) extra lean ground beef
10 oz pkt (@250 grams) frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
1/3 cup 1% cottage cheese
1/3 cup low fat Chedder or Colby cheese
grated
1 large egg beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper ground (I added to taste, I didn't measure it)
What I added:
A pinch of sweet paprika
Tony Chachere's cooked with my ground beef, season to taste
A drop of two of Tabasco, if you like it hot (I added this to Hubs individually)

Directions

Heat oven to 350deg and grease an 8' square baking pan.
Place half of the sliced potatoes overlapping in baking pan and pour over half of the margarine.
Cook onions and garlic until soft , add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain off any fat, take off stove and cool slightly.
Add cottage cheese, spinach, egg, salt and pepper stirring to mix well.
Spread mixture over potato slices , cover with remaining potato slices, drizzle over remaining margarine and top with grated cheese.
Cook for approx 30 minutes or until hot, and stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Number of Servings: 4

This really good and filling. Even the kids liked it. We ate it alone, as a complete meal.

I got the recipe from Spark Recipes, and there are tons and tons if you are looking for more great, healthy recipes.

Tomorrow's post is big and informative and might possible cause a spark. . . . .

Spicy Beefy Veggie Soup

I promised this recipe a few weeks ago, so I thought I'd better get it up here.

This is really yummy and is very filling.

1 pound of ground beef
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (Ragu Garden Combo is good)
1/2 cup of chopped onion (chopped to the size your family likes)
1 can of corn
1 can of peas
1 large (28 oz.) diced new potatoes
1 can of beef broth
1 can of Ro-tel (I use the original mild, but if you like it hot you can use the hot)

Fry ground beef and onion in a skillet. I like to season it with garlic, basil and pepper.

In a large stock pot, combine spaghetti sauce, Ro-tel and beef broth. Cover and get it hot. Add corn and peas.

Once beef is done, add beef and onions to stock pot and bring to a boil. Immediately turn it down and simmer for about 15 minutes.

All done! It is really good served with garlic bread or corn bread.

See wasn't that easy. Ready in about 30 minutes. You can double it by buying the super large jar of sphaghetti, an extra pound of beef, 2 cans of each of the veggies and beef broth and depending on how spicy you like, an extra can of Ro-tel.

***I did it again. I thought I posted this last night and all I did was save it not post it. So it's up on Thursday, with yesterday's time stamp. Check back later for "Fro-less".

Spicy Pickles, Good to Eat or Give Away

I love, love, love pickles. Sweet, dill, bread and butter, whatever, I love them.

So you can imagine (if you can't, try) my joy at trying spicy pickles. Oh, the love. Combining my two favorite things--spicy and sweet. Oh, yeah, they are yummy!!

So, being the bloggity friend I am, I am going to share this recipe with all of you pickle-lovers. Hopefully, there are some pickle lovers out there, but if not, it would be a great food gift for someone who does love pickles.

Spicy-Sweet Pickles

1 LARGE jar of Vlasic Dill whole pickles--80 ounce jar
4 cups of sugar
2 Tbsp. of Tabasco sauce (has to be Tabasco, I'm told other brands are not as good)
2 Tbsp. of Crushed Red Pepper (flakes not powder)
3 cloves of garlic*

1. Drain all juice off pickles. You can discard, the sugar will make new juice.
2. Slice pickles, not to thin because they will curl.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine pickles and sugar. Mix it up, covering the pickles.
4. Now add Tabasco, pepper and garlic.
5. Mix it well. Then put the pickles back into the jar, refrigerate. At first it just looks like a mess, but all that yummy stuff becomes juice again and it is, well, yummy.
6. Let sit one week and then enjoy.**

*You can't use garlic powder in this, but if you are inclined to buying the chopped garlic in the jar, then a half teaspoon is equivalent to one clove.

**This is what you are supposed to do, but I don't make it a week. Usually within a day or so, you will be able to enjoy at full flavor.


Aren't they pretty and full of color??


Are you hungry now??

Well, I hope you all enjoy!!

Tomorrow I'll be back with a tale of babywearing, complete with photos. You won't want to miss it!

By-the-way, go visit here for some Blissfully Domestic tips, recipes, ideas, etc.