Far Too Long...FOOD!!

Hello Fitness friends!

I know it has been so long since I've posted, but as you all know, life catches up with us!  I've been busy and tired and when it comes down to catching up on sleep or blogging...well you know which one I chose!  :-)  Fret not, I have not given up on you!  I have been saving some GREAT recipes to share!! First let me share a little fit life experience with you all.  So I've been doing ChaLEAN Extreme which is Chalene Johnson's weight lifting and cardio program.  I've been eating good and working hard, now I'm in week 3 and almost finished with the first month of the three month (90 day) program.  Well I've been feeling a difference in my body, mostly my legs and abs, of course my body has been sore too; but I have yet to see any weight loss or loss of pants/dress sizes.  I know it's kind of early in the program and Turbo Fire was the same way, I felt the difference before I saw it, long before.  But I felt like this was different.  So I reached out to my coach who inquired about my calorie intake, when I told him I hit around 1100 with my workout (net calories 1400 calories eaten with 300 burned) he told me I wasn't eating enough.  Now this seems kind of odd when you think of losing weight you want to eat less calories, right?  Sometimes.  If you are lifting weights you have to give your body enough fuel (food) to repair and rebuild the muscle or your body will put itself in starvation mode, thus storing everything as fat.  1200 calories per day is what it takes to run your body.  If you are working out,especially if you are weight lifting you MUST put more than the basal requirement in, or you'll be starving...literally.  So my coach told me to go for 1500 calories and then with my 300 calorie workout I would net the 1200 base, so I'm following that now and I must say it's a bit harder than I had anticipated!  I've been trying to eat 1200 for so long now (with no results...no wonder why) that it's actually hard to eat more!  So please, take some of this great input and use it!  If you're seeing no improvement and you're eating well (whole grains, fruits, veggies, lean meats, etc.)  and working out, you may need to eat more!  Okay enough blathering, now to the FOOD!!!


Tropical Fruit Smoothie

• 2 small bananas
• 6 strawberries, cut in half
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup pure pressed apple juice
• 1.5 oz Pineapple Greek Yogurt
• Crushed Ice

1. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

Nutrition:  336 calories, 4g fat, 74g carbs, 7g protein, 47g sugar, 175mg sodium

Jalapeno Turkey Burger

• 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
• 4oz Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey (93/7)
• 1 whole wheat English Muffin
• 1/4 cup onion chopped
• 1/2 Tbsp light mayo
• 1 slice cheddar cheese

1. In a bowl mix together chopped jalapeno, chopped onion and turkey meat.  Form into a patty.
2. In a large frying pan place burger and 1/2 cup water.
3. Allow burger to cook until water is gone, flip.
4. Add another 1/2 cup of water and allow burger to cook until water absorbs.
5. Burger should be cooked through, if not, heat on pan for a few more minutes.
6. Meanwhile spread 1/2 Tbsp. light mayo on English muffin, place 1/2 of cheese slice on each side.
7. Remove burger from pan and place on muffin.  You can add mustard for free but ketchup will add about 20 calories.

Nutrtion:  378 calories, 18g fat, 20g carbs, 31g protein, 2g sugar, 380mg sodium

Shrimp Stir Fry with Brown Rice

• 1/2 cup dry (2/3 cup cooked) Minute Rice, Brown Rice
• 12 cocktail shrimp, thawed, deveined and cleaned
• 1/2 cup string beans
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup broccoli
• 1/2 cup corn
• 3/4 of a bell pepper, chopped
• 1 Tbsp Spicy Stir Fry seasoning
• 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Cook all veggies as directed (usually by boiling in water)
2. Cook rice as directed on box
3. In large frying pan, heat olive oil, add cooked rice, veggies and shrimp.  Heat through.
4. Add spicy stir fry seasoning and mix thoroughly.

ENJOY!!

May Good Health and Prosperity Follow You Always!

The Breakfast Burger

Good Morning Friends!

Well this morning I was pretty hungry, in need of a healthy, satisfying breakfast.  I wanted some form of bagel breakfast sandwich, which are typically terrible in fat, calories and overall health.  A conundrum!  So I started experimenting (I do this a lot) and as I went along I found a great new food!  I knew I wanted eggs and feta and  a bagel, but I felt this would be very bland.  So I cooked up 1/2 a Boca burger patty and added some spices and viola!  The Southwest Egg Burger™ was born!  Of course I will share the recipe below as well as, provide the promised healthier sweets recipes and staples of the cupboard.  Thanks for being so patient with me!  I hope this entry is informative and useful!

Well the staples of my cupboard, and by no means is this an inclusive list of items; not to mention I am learning more every day!  Many of the items listed below are not expensive and last for quite some time, it isn't as hard or expensive to make healthier choices as one might imagine.  It is more expensive than eating mac & cheese and Hamburger Helper type meals every day but trust me your life and body thank you for it!
I always have Stevia on hand, for anything that needs to be sweetened, Stevia is all natural sugar substitute yes the bag is $7 but it lasts for months!  Whole wheat flour, can be used just like all purpose flour and tastes exactly the same, pretty close to all purpose in price and lasts just as long.  Petite diced tomatoes, I keep 3 big cans on hand at all times.  They are about $1.40/can but one can makes your marinara sauce for spaghetti yielding 3-4 servings.  3 Cans usually lasts us (Tim and myself) for 3 weeks.  They are great for other things too, anytime you need a tomato or tomato sauce, you use these I use them in the spicy eggplant, recipe.  I also keep spices on hand, basil, sage, oregano, garlic powder, savory all purpose, crushed red pepper, paprika, to name a few.  Spices are no calorie ways to add flavor to everything!  Whole grain bread, we always have a loaf on hand.  Tuna, beans and vinegars are other items we keep stocked.  Tuna is low fat, low calorie and delicious in so many different ways, beans are great for quick chili dinners when you don't feel like making something elaborate.  Having beans, petite diced tomatoes and spices like cumin on hand, you have everything you need to make a delicious chili!  If you want to add a lean ground turkey or beef to it, it's still low calorie, healthy and filling!  I say vinegars because you want to have a few different types, I use them a lot in dressing creation; vinegar based dressings are very low in calories and fat.  I have white wine, balsamic, apple cider and distilled white.  Vinegar is very inexpensive and has a nice shelf life, so it's really not an expensive habit to get in to.  I also always keep fruits like bananas on hand, a lot of really good sweet substitutions are made with bananas and they are a power food, packed with nutrients.  Last but not least, popcorn and healthy nuts, such as almonds or pistachios.  We always have these items around for grab and go snacks.  It's easy to eat, filling and healthy.  Popcorn is inexpensive, but nuts can be a bit pricey.  We buy the brand on sale, and it's usually around $8 for a large bag, that lasts us around 2 weeks.

Recipe time!!  Introducing the Southwest Egg Burger™ made by me and Banana Mousse, which is a great Beachbody recipe.  ENJOY!



Southwest Egg Burger

Serves 1     400 calories, 9 g fat, 29 g protein, 9g sugar, 780mg sodium


Ingredients:

• 1 Whole grain/whole wheat bagel (around 220 calories)
• 1 whole egg + 1 egg white, whisked
• 1/8 cup of feta cheese
• non stick cooking spray
• crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
• paprika, to taste
• spicy all purpose spice of choice, to taste
• 1/2 Boca meatless burger, cooked.

Directions:

1. Spray pan with non stick cooking spray, whisk eggs with all spices in bowl.
2. Cook egg into small omelette, put 1/2 of the cheese inside. Remove eggs from pan.
3. If you have a panini maker, use this to cook burger together, otherwise use pan.  
4. Spray pan or panini maker with non stick cooking spray, place 1/2 of bagel on heated pan/griddle.
5. Layer egg, remaining feta, 1/2 of Boca buger and other 1/2 of bagel.  
6. If you have a panini maker, close the lid and allow egg burger to brown, about 5 minutes.
7. If you are using a pan, allow 2-3 minutes before flipping, continue rotating sides until both ends of bagel are golden brown. Remove from heat and serve.

Banana Mousse- Serves 1, I am not 100% certain but can almost guarantee the calories were like 200, possibly a little less.  I know it was no more than 200 because I never keep small snack recipes that are.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp milk
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 medium banana quartered
• 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 4 slices of banana

Directions:

1. Blend milk, sugar, vanilla extract and quartered banana on high until smooth.
2. Put in a bowl, fold in yogurt.
3. Chill for an hour.
4. Placed slices of banana on top, serve.

Let Every Move You Make Be An Expression of Your Divinity!!

Bust a Move

Friends!

It feels as if it's been ages since we last met!  I must apologize for skipping out on you, I just didn't have much to say, which is very unusual.  I must say the planning ahead was really great and I've recently found a new healthy, quick dinner recipe, even better part?  I was able to make an additional one for my lunch tomorrow because I know I'll be in my car all day, I'll need a lunch I can eat on the go that is healthy.  Talk about good stuff!  I knew I was going to be crunched for time and wanted something easy but good, I thought a panini sounded great, so I Googled healthy panini and low and behold, I found a little nugget of wonderful...enter the turkey tomato panini.  It has a cheese "sauce", turkey, tomato on whole grain bread. It took less than 10 minutes to prepare and cook and it was DELICIOUS!  I ate that and some quinoa, which was very tasty too! 450 calorie dinner, with over 700 calories left for the day, I was full and still in a nice deficit!  I digress, the extra one I made I put in a container that can be in my car, I'll most like pack some almonds to go with it or popcorn.  I started ChaLEAN Extreme and I'm very excited to see the changes it brings to my body.  I'm also going to use the meal planner, the food looks awesome and is pretty close to the diet we're already following and enjoy.  I am SORE.  Using weights make a huge difference and that is good!  Today was rest day but I don't like taking a day off, doing something enjoyable that I don't have time for when doing a program like yoga or zumba. Zumba is what I chose, since I know a great teacher who teaches for a great price 2x per week in the Chesterfield area.  Close to home and with great company.  Not only is Liz, the teacher nice and really great with helping us learn the moves and feel comfortable, she incorporates what we know with new fresh dances to keep things fresh and help us grow more confident. Pretty awesome right?  I agree.  Well I know I owe you all some recipes, and I promise to deliver, but it's late and I want to get some ZZZ before work tomorrow, I'm pooped!  So I will provide you your recipes and staples in my next post.  Thanks for reading and I hope at least something about this is helpful!



Let Every Move You Make Be An Expression of Your Divinity!

Failing to Prepare is Preparing You to Fail

Good Evening my fellow health seekers!

Today, as most of my Sundays are, was all about preparation.  While it is super important to keep yourself prepared throughout the week, I find that spending some quality time getting as much as I can ready for the week to come on Sunday helps me immensely during the week.  I prepare as many of my lunches and snacks as possible, so on those days when I'm running late (because it happens) I have healthy stuff I can grab, stuff in my lunch bag and go.  I have found that when I depend on making every meal the day of I almost always make worse choices and while preparing my lunches the night before is super helpful, on the nights when I'm exhausted and fall asleep on the couch; I often find myself grabbing foods that aren't right for the day.  I don't have unhealthy food in my house, but I will grab too much fruit or pack only salty snacks (pretzels and popcorn) which has me starving during the day and much more likely to be tempted by fast foods that offer more satisfying options.  So I work really hard to make this as easy and healthy as possible for myself! I made myself three tri-color pasta salad lunches to take with this week, hard boiled some eggs, prepared my snacks and breakfast for Monday and made myself some tea for the week.  I felt really good about all the yummy food I have to choose from for the week.

 I went grocery shopping this weekend and after having had many people ask for shopping tips, I felt it would be helpful if I posted what I buy.  Now, by no means am I perfect and I'm still learning every day how to eat better, shop better and live healthier; however, what I know now, I will share with all of you.
In the picture to the left you can see the staples of my shopping trips.  From left to right, Mushrooms, mangoes, oranges, tea, nitrate free turkey, 15 grain bread, shrimp, zucchini squash, eggs, Greek yogurt, tuna, feta,eggplant, lettuce, all natural popcorn, salmon, bananas, unsweetened almond milk, grape tomatoes and almonds.  I don't buy any red meat, except once in a while.  We eat only nitrate free lunch meat, which at our local Meijer is only offered by one brand, Golden Legacy.  However, it is important for me to note, it is the best tasting lunch meat we've ever had!  You have to package it right because there are no preservatives so it doesn't last as long on it's own.  I find that wrapping the turkey in paper towel then placing it back in the bag in the fridge helps absorb the moisture which is what causes it to spoil faster.  You must ensure that every time you use the meat you replace the paper towel and you'll know because the paper towel will be wet.    I use only unsweetened almond milk because it has more nutrients and less fat and calories than regular milk, even skim.  Almonds are an excellent source of protein and healthy fats, a great snack to help fill you up without too many calories. Fruit provides essential vitamins and minerals but I have recently found that limiting these items can help you lose more weight since they tend to have a lot of sugar.  It's important to eat as many vegetables and whole grains as possible.  We use 15 grain bread because it has a lot of fiber and is easier to digest than whole wheat.   Tomatoes are a great snack that provide lots of important vitamins like cancer fighting lycopene and they are very low in calories, water based (so they fill you up) and easy to take on the road (grape tomatoes anyway).  Water is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle and for those of us (me) who crave taste, I choose tea.  I am IN LOVE with Tazo's Passion tea (they sell it in bags and iced tea packs at Meijer)  I make a gallon every Sunday so I have it on hand for drinking throughout the day.  I take a large bottle with me to work every day and drink some with dinner every night.  I only ever use Stevia if I am going to sweeten anything, which is calorie free and all natural, unlike Splenda and other artificial sweeteners packed with chemicals. Cheese is another product that should be limited but can be very healthy and tasty when used right!  I try and buy only lighter cheeses, feta, goat and mozzarella and use them sparingly with our meals.  Last but not least, popcorn is an excellent light snack for work or on the go, you can  pop your own, but you must be conscious not to use butter or oil.  The great thing about Angie's Boom Chicka Pop is that it's all natural, gluten free, non-GMO, with a light sea salt flavor that gives it just enough taste.  With very few ingredients it is one of the best packaged snack foods I have found to date!

Well I hope you found this post helpful and informative, perhaps you will take some of these items and put them on your shopping list this week.  Later this week, I'll be featuring a healthy potato recipe, staples of my cupboard and a few healthy and delicious desserts!  Keep reading for great recipes, tips and other fun stuff!


Let Every Move You Make Be An Expression Of Your Divinity!

Favorite Dinner...Well One of Them!

Hello friends!

I know I'm a day behind, but as promised this post will include my fave dinner right now...Spicy Eggplant with Poached Eggs.  Okay so today I feel I should share some tips that I have read and heard (all from reputable sources) and since beginning to implement these tips myself; have found them to be very useful.  The main one that is a bit hard at first, EAT SLOW.  We often are in such a rush, eating at our desks, rushing to finish a meal or snack before moving on to something else.  We cause our stomach to be too slow in sending out the signal that it's full, because you aren't giving your food time to reach and fill your stomach.  My solution has recently been to assess potentially busy times, for those I would pack myself easy snacks (popcorn, almonds, yogurt, chopped fruit)  that I can have to pick at while I work or do whatever else I need to do. If I find myself eating too quickly I will set my snack/food aside and find something to occupy my time for a few minutes before returning to it. I find that not only do I continue to get things done, but I eat less as well! Finger foods and foods that aren't messy are great options for those on the run a lot.  I've also been listening to my body and moods more.  I am getting better at not eating because I'm bored, making sure I drink some water if I think I might be hungry but know I shouldn't be and using positive self talk to remind myself that I'm not hungry and why I don't need to eat.  Trust me it may sound silly, but it certainly works if you practice it!  I've been working really hard on new recipes and diet variation to keep things fresh and help me not slip back into bad habits.  I have found that when I'm not prepared or with options I like, I will revert to comfort foods, like take out pizza, fast food and generally unhealthy stuff.  Today I made a new pizza, I have yet to calculate the calories and other nutritional facts, but it was both delicious, filling and made with nothing but healthy ingredients, meatless but no one would be the wiser unless you told!  I know this because my fiance, Tim, is a meat lover and without telling him what was on the pizza or how I made it, I asked if he liked it and he LOVED it, asked to finish what I couldn't.  So yeah meatless options are not always gross or unappealing, even to those like Tim.  It goes to show we should all be more open minded about different foods.  Just because it isn't familiar doesn't mean it isn't great!

I hope that you will give this recipe a try because while it sounds sort of funny at first, it is way more delicious than the title would suggest.  I must note that even though it says it's spicy it's not, it has some spice to it, but don't expect it to burn anything in your body.  Last but not least, this recipe was made for and given to me by my friend April MacKay, she may have gotten it from another source and of that I'm not sure.  All I know is I love it so much I make it weekly now.


Spicy Eggplant with Poached Eggs- Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant
• salt & pepper to taste
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 glove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp white wine vinegar
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Cut the eggplant into bite-sized chunks and soak 20 minutes in a bowl of cold water, with salt and pepper.
2. In a heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp oil.  Add garlic and onion and cook for a few minutes until softened.  Add eggplant and remaining oil, making sure eggplant is thoroughly coated.  cook on very low heat, covered, for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add tomatoes, tahini, brown sugar, paprika and pepper flakes and cook another 10 minutes.  set aside and keep warm.
4. In a medium pan, bring water to a gentle boil and add vinegar.  Poach eggs 3 minutes to be soft in centers, 5 to be stiff throughout.
5. Immediately before serving, add lemon juice and parsley to eggplant mixture.  Divide among 2 serving dishes and top with 2 eggs.

The nutrition on this one is out of this world!!  With only 350 calories and less than 20grams of fat, but you get a huge bowl full!  It is awesome on so many levels!

Now as a special treat, I've decided to share my favorite lunch now...of course this can be for dinner too, but I love taking it for lunch because it is easy and can be carried and eaten just about anywhere!  This recipe I got out of the magazine, "Clean Eating", August/September issue, which my dear friend April MacKay loaned to me.  

Tri-Color Pasta Salad- Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ronzoni garden delight vegetable pasta (rotini)
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 tsp olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 2 oz cooked cocktail shrimp (around 12)
• 1 cup salad/mixed greens
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp basil 
• 1/8 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and spread pasta on a small baking sheet to cool. (Spreading the pasta prevents it from sticking together)
2. While pasta is cooling, prepare dressing.  In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, italian seasoning and 2 tsp water and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat immediately and add sun-dried tomatoes.  which in oil and salt and pepper.  Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Build salad.  Add dressing to bottom of container (tupperware, mason jar, etc.)  Layer shrimp, pasta, greens, tomatoes, basil and cheese.  Cover with lid and refrigerate.  Just before serving, shake jar to distribute dressing.  Make up to 1 day in advance.

This great dish is so good, filling and so great for you! 300 calories, 12g fat, 20g protein and only 375 mg sodium!!  AMAZING.  Try it and I bet you'll agree!!

Well I hope you got some good ideas!  Perhaps you'll be making some interesting new dishes this week!

Watch for the next post, which will feature grocery shopping help and some staple foods you should have!

Let Every Move You Make Be an Expression of Your Divinity!

Temptation and Choices

Hello fellow fitness friends!

Okay so today was a great food day!  I had my Shakeology for breakfast, as usual, chocolate peanut butter banana shake...YUMM!  I packed a pear for my am snack, my own southwest chicken salad (recipe to come later this month) and eggplant lasagna, which is still in the perfecting stages.  Now I have a job that often finds me on the road, so lunch isn't always easy for me, especially since I have made my new year's resolution to avoid fast food at least until we leave for our honeymoon...I may not be able to go 2 days on the road without eating something from a drive-thru, but until then I have the control!  :-)  So today I had a meeting with one of my clients and he chose to meet for lunch at Wendy's...yeah not ideal for me especially today.  I LOVE Wendy's spicy go wraps, but they are terrible, like just about everything else from Wendy's and any other fast food place.  So I decided to compromise.  I brought my salad with me, purchased a small chili, which was 210 calories with 6 grams of fat vs the 340 calories in the snack wrap and 16 grams of fat!  The salad and chili were more than enough, I couldn't even finish them! I was really proud of myself for being able to go out and eat something from the menu without compromising my goals and health.  Score 1 for team Leslie!  My eggplant lasagna ended up being my very satisfying pm snack, coming in at a whopping 186 calories for 1/4 of the lasagna it was a hefty, yet light snack!  I will be posting that recipe for you by the end of the month, I have a few things that I need to tweak before I release it to the masses!  Best part of that lasagna!? It has CHEESE.  Oh I love cheese!  I am really trying to find ways to keep some of the healthier foods I love, like cheese, in my diet without going overboard....I'm a work in progress.  My other new year's resolution only eating order in pizza 1x per month...right now I eat it about 1x per week.  I have a serious addiction to pizza.  I have found some healthier ways to make it at home, but it's not quite the same.  In the other blog, Finding Fitness I did a great pizza comparison, comparing the big chains to each other, for the "healthiest" pizza you can order...still not as good for you as something you make at home!  Okay, enough rambling.  I am buying ChaLEAN Extreme tomorrow...SUPER excited about that!  As you can tell from my pictures on this blog...I love Chalene Johnson, she changed my life and continues to motivate me to be better, healthier and more fit every day.  I have set my ultimate rewards to this...1. When I reach my ultimate goal weight of 130lbs I will become a Turbo Instructor 2. When I get my stomach to look more defined I will get my special side tattoo.  I really want both of these so I am going to work really hard to get them!!  I worked out for 45 minutes today, doing Turbo Fire, one of my all time fave workouts and it made me even more excited to do ChaLEAN Extreme!  I have to go get myself a set of weights this weekend...fun stuff!  Now I just need to set myself some short term rewards...I am looking to lose the last 30lbs and get to my ultimate goal, but I also want to tone and lessen the flab left over from my heavier days.  Some days I think about taking the easy way out and then I remember how awesome it feels to tell people I lost 100lbs without surgery, liposuction or any supplements/pills.  I know what it feels like to watch my body change, to feel it change, to take pride in what I did and more importantly, seeing what I'm capable of.  Our bodies are AMAZING and the things you can do when you push and work are incredible.  I'm rambling again.  Oh dear. Moving on.  :-)

I have decided to be a bit of a tease with the recipes, Friday I will post one of my favorite dinners and some great shopping tips and tricks for those of you who are just starting to be/eat/shop healthier.  Next week I'll share my favorite lunch!


Hope you had a fun, fit and fabulous day too!

Let Every Move You Make Be An Expression Of Your Divinity!

Happy New Year!

2013 is here.  The Mayans were wrong, of course, which is by no means a bad thing.  This year is HUGE, we are entering a new era, the energy in the universe is amazing right now, big changes are coming for all of us this year and in the years to come.  I want to start my year with a fresh new perspective on food and how I treat my body.  I have felt the weight of being obese, I enjoy the light feeling of healthy.  I want to share that with others and expand on it for myself.  I will be on a personal journey to eat cleaner and healthier but I also want to lessen my consumption of meat, focusing more on seafood for the nutrients.  I will be creating new foods, sharing some of my favorites and discovering new things to help me love better health and share it with whomever wishes to hear.  
Goals are super important to me and I think everyone should have goals for themselves and their lives.  We all aspire to do and be things, these goals need to include how we feel and how we treat ourselves; at least in my opinion.  This year, I will lose the final 30lbs on this seemingly never ending journey of remodeling and commit myself to better habits that I can someday pass on.   I want to live a long, healthy life.  I will make sure I treat my body the way I need to in order to accomplish this.  Starting today.  Water. Sleep. Exercise. Fuel Foods.  Fun, fabulous and fit!  That is the goal!  I hope you're joining in to be a better you, because you want to feel good every day.  I want that for everyone. Well thanks for letting me ramble!  Ready?  Let's go!


So I was fooling around the other day with eggplant and yellow squash.  Made a good snack, filling, light and   healthy.  Below is that recipe and a good recipe for broiling chicken (I broil practically everything).  Tonight I am trying an eggplant/cheese bake...we'll see how it turns out!


Broiled Eggplant and Yellow Squash- 2 servings, at 200 calories each.

• Pre-heat broiler to high
• 1 large eggplant
• 3-4 medium yellow squash
• 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
• Spicy Thai Seasoning (or any seasoning you like that is  an herb/spice mix)

Directions:

1. Chop eggplant into bite sized pieces, chop yellow squash into 1/2" thick slices
2. Toss in extra virgin olive oil-just enough to coat
3. Sprinkle seasoning and toss to cover completely.
4. lay flat on baking sheet, broil for 5-10 minutes or until browned.

Broiled Herb Chicken- This chicken is moist, flavorful and only 276 calories for 6oz!  

• Boneless Skinless chicken breast, cut into strips, bite sized pieces, etc.
• Basil
• Garlic Powder
• Pepper
• McCormick's Perfect Pinch Savory All-Purpose seasoning

Directions

1. Pre-heat broiler to high.
2. Spray large baking dish with non-stick spray.
3. In large bowl, toss chicken with spices, to coat evenly.  Measurements vary depending on your tastes, how much chicken you use, etc.  General rule is to coat, apply more or less if you like, the spices can be played with.
4. Lay chicken pieces flat on baking dish, place in broiler for 8-12 minutes or until white in center.

Hope you like the food!  I have a great salad recipe I will be posting later this week!  Plus a tri-color pasta salad that's great for lunches and my FAVE dinner of all time (right now)!  If you have any good recipes or thoughts, please share!  

As always,

Let Every Move You Make Be An Expression Of Your Divinity!