Getting Fit Day 2

Warm Up
Run up and down my stairs for 4 minutes

Work Out

Weights I used(cause I'm weak!):
1-- 5 pounds for all sets
2-- none needed
3-- 5 pounds for all sets
4-- Didn't do--no equip.
5-- 3 pounds, my shoulders are weak!
6--didn't do
7--double 3's first two sets, double 5 third set, one 3 and one 5 last set

Cool Down
Quad stretch
Side Bend stretch--you know, sitting on floor legs wide, bend side then other side to stretch leg and side.


Menu for the day--
Breakfast--Egg white and spinach omelet
Snack--1 slice whole grain bread, 1 tablespoon almond butter
Lunch--potato salad with Canadian Bacon (lower fat mayo)
Snack--apple, mozzarella cheese, tomato and wheat crackers
Dinner--Black Bean Burrito (black beans, red onion, salsa, low-fat sour cream on small size tortilla
Snack--yogurt

Week 2 Training and Eating Habits

"He who fails to plan, plans to fail."

Unknown, but possibly Ben Franklin

The holidays are officially over and it's time to buckle down and get back on track. I've found that I eat better when I'm running because I don't want to waste all that effort. I also eat better when I keep track of what I'm eating. However, it's too late to fix it when I write everything down at night after eating it.

Last night I sat down and planned all of my meals for the next week and looked up the calories for each. I didn't plan my snacks because I never know what will be around in my house, but I did write down how many calories I had left over after all three meals so I would know how much good be used for snacks.

I found this great Weekly Food Diary online and sat down to fill it out. Then I decided I wanted to make the chart available to you, so I opened publisher and created my own. This is what it looks like blank.

And this is what my first week looks like all filled out.

You should be able to click on it to see it bigger. All I have to do is look to see what I'm eating, mark my water glasses and make sure I do the listed exercises.

I tried to add the file to my google docs and chose the share with everyone option. Let me know if these work.
Publisher File
JPEG

I'm Back! and with a Menu

I know, strange. I didn't plan on posting anything for a while. However, this week I'm doing all new recipes. Sick of the same old stand bys, I had to! Most of them have been really simple and I'm shocked I didn't alreay have them in my recipe box.

Here we go.

1. Tater Tot Casserole and Lima Beans
2. Grilled Chicken with Pasta Salad
3. Pork Chops, Rice, Fresh Green Beans and Rolls
4. Baked Ravioli, salad and French bread
5. Mexican pizza and broccoli slaw
6. Carne Guisada, rice, and corn on the cob
7. Crock Pot chicken and vegetables

Economical Two Week Menu

I learned something new on Wednesday. Some people may want to see my "I'm cooking the old stand-bys" menu. I don't usually post these because I figure everyone knows how to cook these things, and it doesn't sound very interesting. However, a new friend said she keeps checking this blog and has been disappointed in the lack of posts. I was like, Wow! Really? To be honest with you, I felt like no one really cared, so I've focused my energy elsewhere. Since someone asked, here I am.

She said she wanted to see what my stand-bys were. These meals are usually some of the cheapest, easiest meals that I make, and they are usually kid pleasers. At least they please my kids. The other nice thing about them is I don't have to think. Just cook.

Remember, I shop for two weeks at a time. Well, at least most of it. I have to go back for milk, bread and sometimes butter and eggs (and whatever little things I forgot, or we ate for a snack instead of saving it--CHEESE). So, here is a menu of 15 dinners. I have also started putting half of certain dishes in the freezer instead of putting the leftovers in the fridge. Three of the meals on this list came out of my freezer. (I already threw the grocery list away, sorry!)

TIP: A good way to choose what to freeze? If they love it when you make it, but never eat it left over. Freeze it, warm it in the oven and they will never know the difference!

1. Tacos (beef or chicken--ready in 10-15 minutes)
2. Hamburgers/hotdogs on the grill, potato salad
3. Grilled cheese and tomato soup
4. Chimichangas (store bought frozen burritoes are given new life)
5. Oyoko don, rice, salad (This is not a stand-by. It was the one new meal I wanted to do this go around. Maybe tonight?)
6. Baked potato bar--chili, green bell peppers, cheddar cheese, ranch dressing (or whatever you want to put on it)
7. Toasted Hoagies (who needs Subway??)
8. BBQ chicken on the grill, corn on the cob (You know, slap some bbq sauce on chicken, throw it on the grill, yummy, easy!)
9. Taco soup
10. Scalloped potatoes, green beans, dinner rolls (from freezer)
11. Porcupine meatballs, rice, green peas
12. Alfredo Pasta with vegetables

From the Freezer:
13. Lasagna (a little more expensive initially, but we get three meals out of one pan--so cheap!)
14. Three cheese chicken linguine
15. Stroganoff on rice

And there you have it. I'll work on writing up some of the recipes--potato salad, taco soup, and Oyoko Don for next week.

Next week also starts my new drive to keep running and drop this last stubborn 10 lbs. I've held a steady weight for the last two years, and although that is good, I'm ready to kick that last 10! No one really signed up for the fitness challenge (just my best buds Laura and Mia). Is it because you don't run? You don't have to be a runner. You get to pick and choose what elements of the challenge you want to take on.

I'll post the Google Doc and make it public on Tuesday. Then you can log in with an alias and record/track what you want. :)

Menu Monday

This menu is from Menus4Moms Week March 23-27, 2009 Follow the link to print the grocery list. I will be posting the recipes and pictures as I make these meals this week.


Monday
• Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder
• Cornbread
• Salad

Tuesday
• Eye of Round
• Rice
• Lima Beans
• Pineapple and Cottage Cheese

Wednesday
• Barbecue Beef Pizza
• Leftover Salad
• Fresh Oranges or Clementines

Thursday
• Linguini with Vegetables and Sauce
• Garlic Bread
• Pears

Friday
• Beans and Franks--Do I really need to post a recipe for this? (open a can of pork and beans--my family prefers a can of chili--and chop up a few hotdogs and warm it up together.)
• French Fries
• Buttered Peas

Menu Feb 15-19th 2010

I found my dream blog, meaning the blog that I had hoped this would be but I never seem to have enough time to do. Menus 4 Moms OMGoodness! It is so awesome. There are menus, recipes and grocery lists for a year. This week I am using her menu from the archives Feb 16-20, 2009.

Monday
Beef Stroganoff over Rice
Broccoli with Lemon Juice

Tuesday
Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake
Salad
Pineapple Parfait

Wednesday
Fried Rice (with chicken)
Egg Drop Soup
Edamame or Sugar Snap Peas

Thursday
Mandarin Topped Chops
Brussels Sprouts with Cream Sauce--I bought a frozen package that had sauce on it. So warm and eat. :)
Couscous

Friday
Greek Pizza
Salad
Grapes

Valentine Menu

I will locate, shop and post these recipes tomorrow and then add the photos on Monday. I just wanted to get the menu posted before I forget.

Salad with Cranberry's
Corn Stuffed Pork Chops
Vegetable Stir Fry (Broccoli, Carrots, Bell Pepper)
Yeast Rolls
Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce

Now I'm off to get ready for a night of Karaoke with the ladies from church! Recipes tomorrow, I promise!

Murder Mystery Dinner Party

What a wonderful evening. In a way, I feel like I'm back. I haven't felt like cooking much lately, however by inviting some of my dearest friends over, I found my inspiration once more. I cooked and prepared all day and loved every minute of it!

Welcome to La Spirenza!
The Table with dim lighting and lots of candles.
The Suspects...a slight oversight on our part means Nathan and I did not get photographed. Nathan looked hot in his waiter outfit and faux mustache.

The Menu
Bruschetta
Italian Salad (salad with Italian dressing and large black olives, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese)
Yam and Apple Soup
Lasagna with Homemade Spaghetti sauce
and French Bread
Strawberry Italian Ice

The Return of Menu Monday

Today starts my new year for healthy eating, running and blogging. I survived the holidays with only a 3lb weight gain, so I feel pretty good! My husband and I also put our money down for the Country Music 1/2 Marathon on New Year's Eve. Yes, I know...I wanted to do the full marathon in April, but after three months of not running I did not think that would be realistic. So, the new plan? Do the 1/2 in 2 hours 15 minutes in April and keep running so I can do a full in the fall.

Here is the menu for the next few days. I'll update the links as I post the recipes.

30 Minute Minestrone Soup
Toasted Turkey, Swiss and Tomato Sandwiches
Molasses Marinated Tenderloin Steak
Pizza
Chicken Chili
Hamburgers and Oven Fries
French Toast
Burritos
Honey Roasted Chicken
Salad Bar

Class #2

Here is Phillip's menu.Rice
Sesame Pork with Broccoli Kitchen Experiment #12 (Brownies with caramel and chocolate chips)

Class Final #1

This week my students prepared a meal all on their own. They made a grocery list and gathered all the ingredients, decided the order they should prepare the three dishes and then cook them. It was a lot of fun and both students did an excellent job! It was nice to just stand and watch them do their thing. Here is the menu and recipes for Taylor's Final.
Refried Bean Dip--link coming soon when I find the recipe :) I'm not sure which of my books she found it in.
Sweet and Spicy Pork Tenderloin
Fudge-Topped Peanut Butter Brownies

I boiled the corn while she cooked and her mother brought some Rosemary potatoes to go with it since both of our families were eating this great meal. We forgot to take a picture of her brownies, but they were super yummy too!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Another year of over eating delicious things has come and gone. This year I cooked in my own kitchen, which is always easier. :) Here was our menu:
Turkey
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Homemade Mac and Cheese
Cornbread Dressing
Corn Casserole
Green Beans
Honey Glazed Carrots
Purple Passion
Mandarin Jello Salad
Rolls
Deviled Eggs
Cheesecake
Peanut Butter Fudge

Our beautiful yet simple table setting.

This turkey did not want to let me rub my butter and herbs under it's skin. Look how blotchy! Still tasted good though.
Someone already snitched an egg!

Finally a Menu!

Next week I am teaching a class at church called "Dinners on a Dime." To get ready for it I am going to make all the meals that I think are really quite cheap--while still being yummy and enticing for my children as well as to me and my hubby.

All of the recipes are already on my website, so I will probably not post any new ones for a while. Instead I want to try and move to the next phase in my blogging plan. :) Do you remember how I posted a "guest chef" a couple of times in the past? I want to make that a regular occasion and I need YOUR help to do it. Here is your challenge: Make your family's favorite meal and document it in pictures, type up the recipe and send the text and photos to: forloveoffood@hotmail.com

I look forward to trying your recipes on my family!

Menu
1. Tacos
2. Penne with Zucchini
3. Curried Beans and Rice
4. Homemade Pizza Crust
5. Spicy Nacho Bake
6. Bean and Rice Wraps
7. Homemade chili
8. Balsamic chicken and mushrooms
9. French Toast
10. Oven-crisped chicken
11. Porcupine meatballs
12. Lime chicken

Click Here for the grocery list. Hopefully I haven't left too many items off this time. :)

A great lunch choice

We have a family friend who has lost a lot of weight over the last year by eating soup for lunch. You may also remember me mentioning the Dana Thornock Eat and Be Lean cookbook/diet. She also likes soups for lunch with a slice of whole grain bread with low fat cream cheese and sugar free preserves. I love soups so this is something easy for me to do. Here is the trick, you have to choose naturally lower fat and lower calorie soups. So the heavy cream based soups aren't going to help.

Here are some good choices from the Campbell's Chunky Soup line. There are other great brands and choices out there, this is just what I grew up with. :) All nutrition info is for half a can, which is plenty!

Grilled Chicken and Sausage Gumbo (spicy, yum!)--140 calories, 2.5 g fat
Beef and Barley--170 calories, 2.5 g fat
Bean and Ham--180 calories, 2 g fat
Grilled Sirloin Steak with Vegetables--130 calories, 2 g fat
Classic Chicken Noodle--110 calories, 2.5 g fat
And this one slipped in, notice the difference in fat content:
Chicken and Corn Chowder--200 calories (not bad), 10 g fat (big difference compared to the others!)

1 slice whole grain bread is about 100 calories, give or take a few depending on what it is, and 1 tablespoon low sugar or sugar free preserves is about 25 calories. Light cream cheese is about 60 calories and 5 g fat for 2 tablespoons. This makes this meal around 250-300 calories depending on the soup you pick. Not too bad!

Menus and Goals

I have been so busy this month that I have barely cooked for my family. Everything has been quick and easy stand-bys that I know will turn out and be eaten. Hopefully things will slow down a bit after April. I'll go from 5 major projects to 3 projects (none of those include cooking, cleaning and being a mom, so that lets you know how crazy it has been the last two months!)

Anyhow, here is the menu for the next bit of time. (Links coming for some of these this afternoon)

1. Hawaiian haystacks
2. Pepper steak with rice and green beans
3. Taco pinwheels and chicken enchiladas
4. Pizza on the grill
5. Cheesy shell lasagna
6. Home made chicken nuggets
7. Cook out with friends—burgers, hot dogs, layered Mexican appetizer , Oriental slaw salad
8. Beef kabobs and grilled vegetables
9. Baked potato bar
10. Fajitas

Last week I posted about my goal to drink all 8 glasses of water each day. I feel like that is going well and I am doing it. This week I am adding the next layer of becoming a happier healthier person. This week my goal is to turn off the TV and get to bed by 10:30pm each night. I have been staying up way too late just watching random shows because I need time to veg. But then I lay in bed and have a hard time going to sleep and I am tired in the morning.

Here are a few tips I found online:

For a good night’s sleep, try these simple techniques:
* Establish a regular bedtime and bedtime routine, even on weekends.
* Avoid eating for 2-3 hours before bedtime. If you have to have a snack, try warm milk and avoid protein, sugar and excess fats which stimulate.
* Avoid caffeine, sodas with excess sugar and alcohol from at least mid-afternoon onward
* Make sure your bedroom is comfortable with a mattress, pillow and bedding that fits your needs
* Avoid working or reading in your bedroom and make it as dark as possible.
* Get as much exercise as possible but early in the day
* Take a warm, relaxing bath before bed time

I also reading somewhere (I couldn't find the source again) that you should turn off your computer and TV at least an hour before you go to bed because they are so stimulating that it is hard to go to sleep right after watching TV.

April Menu and shopping list

Where is the time getting to? I've finally sat down and planned the menus for the next little bit of time. Here it is along with the shopping list.

1. Caesar Chicken and Rice, Green beans and sliced tomatoes
2. Navajo tacos, sliced peaches
3. Chicken enchiladas, peas and rice
4. Grilled cheese and fries
5. Hawaiian haystacks
6. Spicy BBQ Ribs, potato wedges, salad
7. Four cheese chicken fettuccine, broccoli cheese squares
8. Jumbo Stuffed Cheese Shells, salad, pears
9. Cheesy shell lasagna, rolls

March 16th menu

I never typed up my grocery list and now I can't find it. I went on Friday, so who knows where it is now, sorry. I'll post one next time though.

I'm excited to try a few new meals and revisit some of our family favorites. The two week menu is pretty affordable while still having some nice meals too.

1. Swiss Chicken Bake with baked sweet potatoes and green salad
2. Taco soup with tortilla chips and sour cream
3. Chef salad (with bacon, chicken, eggs, etc) and scones with honey butter
4. French toast with strawberries and yogurt
5. Cheesy chicken and rice with broccoli and rolls
6. Hamburgers, hot dogs and potato salad
7. Hawaiian Haystacks
8. Pork loin, mashed potatoes and zucchini and rolls
9. Homemade chicken nuggets and scalloped potatoes
10. Spicy Nacho Bake and sliced peaches
11. Spaghetti and french bread
12. Easy Chimichangas served on lettuce and topped with sour cream
13. Foccaccia pizza and cheese sticks
14. Breakfast--eggs, biscuits, sausage and hash browns
15. Stuffed Pork chops with corn on the cob and green salad

And for St. Patrick's day tomorrow we are having Green Mac and Cheese, lime jello, green salad and green sprinkled sugar cookies!

Menus until the end of February

Well, I finally got around to planning my meals for the next two weeks. I have uploaded the grocery list HERE . Now I can go shopping so I can cook something worthy of photographing and posting for you. :) My list looks short to me, but I think I got everything on there. Here is my list of meals in no particular order *wink*:

1. Corn Chowder and cornbread
2. Fried rice and chicken pot-stickers
3. Lasagna and French bread with salad
4. Foccaccia pizza
5. Black bean and salsa soup
6. Apple Squash Soup and turkey wraps
7. Fajitas with California Avocado salsa
8. Taco pinwheels and nachos/taco salad
9. Sesame Pork with Broccoli
10. Crock Pot Chicken on toasted rolls
11. Blintzes with Raspberry Sauce

Menu Monday

Sorry this is so late in the day, but I woke up in the cleaning mood and thought I had better go with that feeling while it lasted. It may have gotten a little out of hand though because I have pulled out a bucket of paint and started in on my hallway and stairway (you know the place where little hands make the biggest impressions). I have decided to take a break and eat lunch and post my menu at the same time. And guess what! I actually have the grocery list for it this time! I know, I know, you are very welcome. You can access the grocery menu HERE . By the way, no one has ever told me if you can or can not access these files.

1. New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
2. Turkey Loaf, Rolls and Salad (Update:flopped--no link coming)
3. Broccoli Cheese Soup
4. Crock Pot Vegetable Beef Stew with homemade biscuits
5. Sweet and Sour Chicken, rice, green beans and Chocolate Delight dessert
6. Porcupine Meatballs on rice, broccoli, jello
7. Chicken Alfredo, salad, French bread
8. Pizza
9. Tacos
10. Chili Dogs
11. White Beans and Cornbread (super cheap meal)
12. Apple-Squash Soup, Deli Wraps

For Book Club--Sour Cream Coconut Cake
For an appetizer party--Sausage Stars

Menu and a Meal/Fiesta meatloaf

I planned my menu yesterday and even typed up the grocery list. I just didn't get around to posting it, so here it is. The list is in my file box marked Dec 1. Nothing too fancy this time other than the pork loin roulade, and I think that just sounds fancy. :) We are on Christmas budget this month, so most things are as cheap as they get. I am sad that I forgot to bring home some left over turkey from my travels because now I won't be able to make my favorite left over dish--Turkey Tettrazini. Mmmm. What is your favorite turkey leftover meal? Please email me at forloveoffood@hotmail.com and share your recipe with us.

Menu

*Fiesta Meatloaf
*Pork Loin Roulade with roasted potatoes
*Chili and cornbread
*Turkey and Rice Quiche
*Caesar Pita Pockets
*Homemade Chicken nuggets
*Turkey Wraps
*French toast (yes, I keep adding it and eventually I'll actually make it again.)*Baked potato bar *Chili dogs and chips

Last night I finally tried the Fiesta meatloaf. My family is not a big ground beef eating family and I generally only use half the amount of ground beef called for in recipes. So, you can imagine my family's face when I told them we were having meatloaf. A whole pound of meat?! It was surprisingly good. The green pepper and onion added texture and my husband gave it the ok. Not quite a thumbs up, but an "it's ok to make this again just not every week". That's a success in my book!

Fiesta Meat Loaf

* 1 pound extra lean ground beef
* 3/4 cup quick oats, uncooked
* 1/2 cup cholesterol free egg product
* 1/2 cup salsa, divided
* 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
* 1/4 cup diced onion
* 1 tablespoon chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of salsa for the topping.

2. Form meat into a loaf and place in a 8x4x3 loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Top with the remaining salsa.

3. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 55 minutes. Easy!

This is from Light Cooking, pg. 155. It makes 6 servings at 150 calories, 4 g fat, 35 mg cholesterol, and 400mg sodium.