Apparently there wasn't as much ham as I thought there was so no need for me to worry about that. We are saving the bone to add flavor to some pinto beans. That should be good.
Jon's cousin has been staying with us this week. Having an 18 year old boy in the house definitely helps when trying to get rid of leftovers. I only had to eat one slice of cheesecake and it is all gone today. Although it was delicious, I was glad to have been spared the calories.
Jon fried chicken for dinner and it was so good. We had the leftover sides along with it. Unfortunately, it was mostly carbs but I did not select the menu. At least between the three of us and a friend who came over, I think they're mostly gone. I'm looking forward to restocking and planning our meals myself.
I caught up on all the laundry, dishes and cleaning. Tomorrow we're going to see my Grandma so I need to get some sleep now.
Goodnight.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Leftovers
Christmas at my house means all the leftovers stay at my house. So my first objective is to use or freeze this stuff to avoid waste as much as possible. We're going to Austin this weekend so I may be bringing food with.
The Plan
As I mentioned before, I think the key is dedication and having a plan. But if they plan does not work for you, then it will not work. Here is my plan:
Food:
1. Follow Allie's Blog for ideas and inspiration.
2. I have recently subscribed to eMeals. It's not absolutely necessary but I really like it because I always have a plan for dinner even if I did not plan ahead. Once again, the plan must work for you and this works for me. I will be doing the Clean Eating plan since it only uses natural ingredients. My goal is to have an answer every time Jon (my husband) asks, "What are we eating for dinner?" (My usual answers being, "I don't know know." or "Let's order a pizza." or even, "Hamburger Helper.")
3. Buy a large freezer.
4. Plan and pre-portion meals so that I can easily grab something and heat it up without staring at a cupboard full of food wondering what I'm going to do with it and then deciding to go to Taco Bell. In case you haven't noticed, I'm very lazy when it comes to food prep, especially when I am hungry.
Exercise:
1. Start small. I don't want to change too much too quickly because I am more likely to fail. I need to start slowly and stick to it.
2. Enlist he help of my friend Ed. He tells me how much to run each week and I will dedicate to running that much.
3. Strength training 2-3 times a week. Once again, starting out small.
4. Train for a 5K. I need a goal to work towards.
Other:
1. Get organized. This will be a long process. I have found great inspiration through The Nest Effect.
2. Get out of debt and get back on track financially. Dave Ramsey is a huge inspiration in that department. When my husband and I were doing the baby steps, we paid off so much debt and saved so much money. We also had fun working together.
Most importantly:
Be a good mom to my daughter and set an example for her. I refuse to tell her she has to eat healthy while I am not.
With all of these resources and help, I know I can do it.
Food:
1. Follow Allie's Blog for ideas and inspiration.
2. I have recently subscribed to eMeals. It's not absolutely necessary but I really like it because I always have a plan for dinner even if I did not plan ahead. Once again, the plan must work for you and this works for me. I will be doing the Clean Eating plan since it only uses natural ingredients. My goal is to have an answer every time Jon (my husband) asks, "What are we eating for dinner?" (My usual answers being, "I don't know know." or "Let's order a pizza." or even, "Hamburger Helper.")
3. Buy a large freezer.
4. Plan and pre-portion meals so that I can easily grab something and heat it up without staring at a cupboard full of food wondering what I'm going to do with it and then deciding to go to Taco Bell. In case you haven't noticed, I'm very lazy when it comes to food prep, especially when I am hungry.
Exercise:
1. Start small. I don't want to change too much too quickly because I am more likely to fail. I need to start slowly and stick to it.
2. Enlist he help of my friend Ed. He tells me how much to run each week and I will dedicate to running that much.
3. Strength training 2-3 times a week. Once again, starting out small.
4. Train for a 5K. I need a goal to work towards.
Other:
1. Get organized. This will be a long process. I have found great inspiration through The Nest Effect.
2. Get out of debt and get back on track financially. Dave Ramsey is a huge inspiration in that department. When my husband and I were doing the baby steps, we paid off so much debt and saved so much money. We also had fun working together.
Most importantly:
Be a good mom to my daughter and set an example for her. I refuse to tell her she has to eat healthy while I am not.
With all of these resources and help, I know I can do it.
I'm Back
First of all, I would like to apologize to my good friend Allie, who went through a lot of time and effort in helping me with my endeavors. I have failed you. Also, I have failed myself. I started this blog awhile back as motivation to change my life and to eat healthy. I quickly went back to my old ways and now have a kitchen full of processed food once again. Well, it is the holidays so that does have something to do with it. It sure doesn't help when Christmas is at your house and everyone brings all of the food and various treats to your house and leaves the leftovers for you to consume. Well, I've had enough. I'm tired of using others as an excuse for my lack of self control and will power. I have some pretty amazing friends who have been an inspiration to me. Let me briefly mention a few:
Allie...she makes her own bread, yogurt, jams, etc., things that I never even considered one was capable of making in their own home. But hey, our grandparents did it back in the day so why can't we? She manages a ridiculous school schedule, while still not giving into the "I'm too busy so I'll just hit up the drive-through" attitude. Did I mention she also works?
Josh...lost a ridiculous amount of weight. How? He started riding his bike, learned about nutrition and has the self control to maintain his diet despite others around him who are eating the worst kinds of foods. He is one of the few people I've seen loose a significant amount of weight and keep it off years later.
Ed...a friend from high school who used to be overweight. How did he change? He started running...a lot and eating healthier. He now does ultra-marathons. I've enlisted his help in getting back into running myself.
Knowing all of these people should and has struck some motivation in me.
I graduated from college in August and had my first child in September. My daughter Hannah, is about to be four months old. Call this motivation from her, call it a new year's resolution, or the classic weight loss motivation, but I have to and am going to change my ways. I cannot raise my child to think that French fries are a staple, or taking a multivitamin is a substitute for eating vegetables, or dare I say, that eating Ramen noodles every day for lunch and dinner is OK. (Yes, I am referring to myself.)
Yes, I was raised to eat unhealthy foods. I was raised to hate vegetables and love processed carbs and sugar. I think it's true that we go back to what we were raised eating. I do not want Hannah to do this. I want her to get excited about going to a Mediterranean restaurant and want to try to foods, not go through the ingredient list hoping not to find something you do not like in the mix (Yes, this is me too).
I have spent hours today going thorough Allie's blog and planning out what I will be eating. The first step is to (once again), get rid of the fake food and stock up on the real stuff.
The point is, despite what we all would like to think it true, there is no "secret" or "easy" way to do this. The magical ingredient is dedication and we all posses this within us. For some of us (me), that dedication is buried VERY deep inside, but it's there. I have read about countless diets and exercises and yes, they all mostly work. I think the key is that you have to find something that works for you personally. So I am declaring that my new year's resolution is to follow through with what I start and to stop making excuses. Here's to 2013! Stay tuned for more.
Allie...she makes her own bread, yogurt, jams, etc., things that I never even considered one was capable of making in their own home. But hey, our grandparents did it back in the day so why can't we? She manages a ridiculous school schedule, while still not giving into the "I'm too busy so I'll just hit up the drive-through" attitude. Did I mention she also works?
Josh...lost a ridiculous amount of weight. How? He started riding his bike, learned about nutrition and has the self control to maintain his diet despite others around him who are eating the worst kinds of foods. He is one of the few people I've seen loose a significant amount of weight and keep it off years later.
Ed...a friend from high school who used to be overweight. How did he change? He started running...a lot and eating healthier. He now does ultra-marathons. I've enlisted his help in getting back into running myself.
Knowing all of these people should and has struck some motivation in me.
I graduated from college in August and had my first child in September. My daughter Hannah, is about to be four months old. Call this motivation from her, call it a new year's resolution, or the classic weight loss motivation, but I have to and am going to change my ways. I cannot raise my child to think that French fries are a staple, or taking a multivitamin is a substitute for eating vegetables, or dare I say, that eating Ramen noodles every day for lunch and dinner is OK. (Yes, I am referring to myself.)
Yes, I was raised to eat unhealthy foods. I was raised to hate vegetables and love processed carbs and sugar. I think it's true that we go back to what we were raised eating. I do not want Hannah to do this. I want her to get excited about going to a Mediterranean restaurant and want to try to foods, not go through the ingredient list hoping not to find something you do not like in the mix (Yes, this is me too).
I have spent hours today going thorough Allie's blog and planning out what I will be eating. The first step is to (once again), get rid of the fake food and stock up on the real stuff.
The point is, despite what we all would like to think it true, there is no "secret" or "easy" way to do this. The magical ingredient is dedication and we all posses this within us. For some of us (me), that dedication is buried VERY deep inside, but it's there. I have read about countless diets and exercises and yes, they all mostly work. I think the key is that you have to find something that works for you personally. So I am declaring that my new year's resolution is to follow through with what I start and to stop making excuses. Here's to 2013! Stay tuned for more.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Dinner, Deviled eggs and basketball
Last night was the 4th of the NBA play-off games between the Dallas Mavericks (Woo Hoo!) and the Miami Heat (Booooo). I invited a friend over to watch the game with my husband and I since we're all fans. I started off by making two dozen deviled eggs. My friend and husband are both deviled egg fanatics. What I do is very simple and delicious. They both said that they were the best deviled eggs they have ever tasted. This is what I did:
I'm going to be very descriptive since I used to be incapable of boiling eggs. This is no longer true, but in case you are, here you go...
Kam Jo's Delicious Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
Eggs (duh)
Mayo (I like the Kraft Mayo with olive oil, it tastes the same and saves you a lot of fat)
Mustard
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
1. Place however many eggs in large pot that you plan on boiling. Fill pot enough to sufficiently cover the eggs.
2. Put pot on stove. Turn stove on high and watch the eggs.
3. As soon as they start boiling, set timer for 10 minutes.
4. As soon as the timer goes off, take the pot off the heat and drain the water (be careful of steam)
5. Cover eggs with cold water. Let them cool for about 30 minutes. (Eggs are much easier to peel when they have cooled off. (I learned this on the first dozen)
6. Peel all eggs.
7. Cut the eggs into halves.
8. Remove yolk from eggs and place in bowl.
9. Set egg whites on plate or tray that you will serve them on.
10. Using a spoon, mash the egg yolks.
11. Add about three or four heaping tablespoons of mayo to egg yolks. This amount varies, depending on how much you like. As long as the yolk is creamy, you're good to go. Don't put to much. You can always add more but you cannot remove the mayo once it's mixed in. (Always remember this).. This amount will depend on how much eggs you are cooking.
12. You will add a significantly less amount of mustard than you did mayo. The mayo is for the creamy consistency. The mustard will give it some flavor. Add in two tablespoon increments and taste to see how you like it. Once you like the taste, stop adding mustard. (Don't eat to much, save some for the eggs.)
13. Add salt and pepper to taste. Don't be shy on this, especially with the salt.
14. Spoon the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Be sure not to put too much in one egg so you don't run out of yolk mixture.
15. Sprinkle paprika on top of eggs.
16. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. (Or eat immediately)
For dinner we had baked chicken with a side of rice and sliced tomatoes. I bought some drumsticks and boneless skinless chicken thighs. I used Zatarain's Bake & Crisp chicken breading. I coated the chicken using a beaten egg and covered it with the Zatarain's. The directions are on the box but the total cooking time was 40 minutes. Boneless chicken is baked for 20 minutes and bone in chicken is baked for 40 minutes. Flip chicken half way through baking and you have some delicious baked chicken.
Enjoy!
By the way, weight update, I weighed myself today (after eating) and I'm down to 170. And I have entered in a weight loss competition at work. I plan on winning. That's all for now. Let me figure out what I am going to cook tonight and then make a trip to the gym. (I'm off today)
Oh and the Mavericks won! Yay! : )
I'm going to be very descriptive since I used to be incapable of boiling eggs. This is no longer true, but in case you are, here you go...
Kam Jo's Delicious Deviled Eggs
Ingredients:
Eggs (duh)
Mayo (I like the Kraft Mayo with olive oil, it tastes the same and saves you a lot of fat)
Mustard
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
1. Place however many eggs in large pot that you plan on boiling. Fill pot enough to sufficiently cover the eggs.
2. Put pot on stove. Turn stove on high and watch the eggs.
3. As soon as they start boiling, set timer for 10 minutes.
4. As soon as the timer goes off, take the pot off the heat and drain the water (be careful of steam)
5. Cover eggs with cold water. Let them cool for about 30 minutes. (Eggs are much easier to peel when they have cooled off. (I learned this on the first dozen)
6. Peel all eggs.
7. Cut the eggs into halves.
8. Remove yolk from eggs and place in bowl.
9. Set egg whites on plate or tray that you will serve them on.
10. Using a spoon, mash the egg yolks.
11. Add about three or four heaping tablespoons of mayo to egg yolks. This amount varies, depending on how much you like. As long as the yolk is creamy, you're good to go. Don't put to much. You can always add more but you cannot remove the mayo once it's mixed in. (Always remember this).. This amount will depend on how much eggs you are cooking.
12. You will add a significantly less amount of mustard than you did mayo. The mayo is for the creamy consistency. The mustard will give it some flavor. Add in two tablespoon increments and taste to see how you like it. Once you like the taste, stop adding mustard. (Don't eat to much, save some for the eggs.)
13. Add salt and pepper to taste. Don't be shy on this, especially with the salt.
14. Spoon the yolk mixture into the egg whites. Be sure not to put too much in one egg so you don't run out of yolk mixture.
15. Sprinkle paprika on top of eggs.
16. Refrigerate until you are ready to serve. (Or eat immediately)
For dinner we had baked chicken with a side of rice and sliced tomatoes. I bought some drumsticks and boneless skinless chicken thighs. I used Zatarain's Bake & Crisp chicken breading. I coated the chicken using a beaten egg and covered it with the Zatarain's. The directions are on the box but the total cooking time was 40 minutes. Boneless chicken is baked for 20 minutes and bone in chicken is baked for 40 minutes. Flip chicken half way through baking and you have some delicious baked chicken.
Enjoy!
By the way, weight update, I weighed myself today (after eating) and I'm down to 170. And I have entered in a weight loss competition at work. I plan on winning. That's all for now. Let me figure out what I am going to cook tonight and then make a trip to the gym. (I'm off today)
Oh and the Mavericks won! Yay! : )
Thursday, May 12, 2011
So Far So Good
Despite the doubts that everyone had for me, I have managed to maintain my goal of eating mostly real foods. I have actually not eaten out in a restaurant since I've started this quest. O.k., there was one exception. I had to go out for margaritas on Cinco De Mayo so I did eat out at a Mexican food place. Other than that, I have done quite well.
Breakfast has been mostly the same, homemade granola bars, smoothies and Russian apple cake. These are great for a fast breakfast. Since I have to be at work by 6am, I don't want to spend any more time in the morning than I have to. I have these items prepared the night before so that I can grab them and leave.
After Cinco De Mayo, I went right back to where I was. I had a leftover beef brisket, which yes, was purchased at the grocery store pre-made. But hey, I'm trying not to waste food here. I chopped up the brisket into cubes, added some Kraft Original BBQ sauce and put it in my slow cooker. It didn't take long for it to heat up and be ready for sandwiches. We had chopped beef sandwiches for dinner along with some Bush's Grillin Beans (once again, I don't want to throw away food), and some homemade potato salad. There are many variations on making potato salad but I like to keep it simple. Here is what I did:
Ingredients:
1 can of whole potatoes (chopped)
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Green olives (substitute for pickles if you're not an olive fan)
Salt and pepper to taste
This is much better when done with fresh potatoes but since I was in a pinch, I used the canned ones. Mix mayonnaise with potatoes. Don't use too much or it will be watery. Then add mustard. You don't need much, just enough to wear it looks slightly yellow. Add as many olives or pickles as you want. This depends on how picklely you want your potato salad to taste. Then top it off with salt and pepper. You can add some paprika if you desire.
I apologize for my vagueness in writing the recipe. I've never actually written one down so bare with me. I'll get better.
Last night, I had a craving for omelets. I made a ham, cheddar, mushroom and onion omelet. I actually didn't eat it because I'm not a fan of mushrooms or onions but my husband said it was tasty. (Pictures to follow)
I then noticed that three of my bananas were going bad. They were very ripe and too mushy to eat. I decided to make some banana bread. Here's the recipe I used:
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs (I left this out because I didn't have any)
2 Tbsp. ground baking chocolate (I ground up some chocolate chips and this worked out fine)
2 Tsp. baking powder
1 Tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of ripe bananas, mashed (I used 3 bananas)
Combine pecans with flour, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Cram butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in mashed bananas until mixture is smooth. Stir in pecan mixture. Spoon into greased and floured 5 x 9 in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour or until well done. (This was a little too long for my oven so watch it closely) Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
This was a real simple recipe. I cannot remember the source I got it from.
That is my update of what has been going on in my kitchen. As you've noticed, I'm integrating real food with the processed food that I already had. Oh and by the way, so far I have lost five pounds. I have not changed my level of physical activity. So far, a success.
I have to work this evening so I will probably grab a sandwich or some soup at work. However, I am off tomorrow so I will have all day for cooking. Who knows what I will come up with.
Thanks for stopping by.
Breakfast has been mostly the same, homemade granola bars, smoothies and Russian apple cake. These are great for a fast breakfast. Since I have to be at work by 6am, I don't want to spend any more time in the morning than I have to. I have these items prepared the night before so that I can grab them and leave.
After Cinco De Mayo, I went right back to where I was. I had a leftover beef brisket, which yes, was purchased at the grocery store pre-made. But hey, I'm trying not to waste food here. I chopped up the brisket into cubes, added some Kraft Original BBQ sauce and put it in my slow cooker. It didn't take long for it to heat up and be ready for sandwiches. We had chopped beef sandwiches for dinner along with some Bush's Grillin Beans (once again, I don't want to throw away food), and some homemade potato salad. There are many variations on making potato salad but I like to keep it simple. Here is what I did:
Ingredients:
1 can of whole potatoes (chopped)
Mayonnaise
Mustard
Green olives (substitute for pickles if you're not an olive fan)
Salt and pepper to taste
This is much better when done with fresh potatoes but since I was in a pinch, I used the canned ones. Mix mayonnaise with potatoes. Don't use too much or it will be watery. Then add mustard. You don't need much, just enough to wear it looks slightly yellow. Add as many olives or pickles as you want. This depends on how picklely you want your potato salad to taste. Then top it off with salt and pepper. You can add some paprika if you desire.
I apologize for my vagueness in writing the recipe. I've never actually written one down so bare with me. I'll get better.
Last night, I had a craving for omelets. I made a ham, cheddar, mushroom and onion omelet. I actually didn't eat it because I'm not a fan of mushrooms or onions but my husband said it was tasty. (Pictures to follow)
I then noticed that three of my bananas were going bad. They were very ripe and too mushy to eat. I decided to make some banana bread. Here's the recipe I used:
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flour
3/4 cup fine graham cracker crumbs (I left this out because I didn't have any)
2 Tbsp. ground baking chocolate (I ground up some chocolate chips and this worked out fine)
2 Tsp. baking powder
1 Tsp. baking soda
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of ripe bananas, mashed (I used 3 bananas)
Combine pecans with flour, graham cracker crumbs, chocolate, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Cram butter with sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in mashed bananas until mixture is smooth. Stir in pecan mixture. Spoon into greased and floured 5 x 9 in. loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 1 hour or until well done. (This was a little too long for my oven so watch it closely) Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
This was a real simple recipe. I cannot remember the source I got it from.
That is my update of what has been going on in my kitchen. As you've noticed, I'm integrating real food with the processed food that I already had. Oh and by the way, so far I have lost five pounds. I have not changed my level of physical activity. So far, a success.
I have to work this evening so I will probably grab a sandwich or some soup at work. However, I am off tomorrow so I will have all day for cooking. Who knows what I will come up with.
Thanks for stopping by.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Operation "Real Food"
As most people know, American consumers are bombarded with choices. We can choose our brands of cars, electronics, neighborhoods, jobs, schools, and food. I have always been the person who will go to the grocery store and grab whatever chemistry experiment in a box that looks edible and be on my way.
Over the past few years, I have put on forty pounds. I don't look really fat but I am definitely thick. This may be because I am getting older and my metabolism is no longer what is used to be. Rather than accept the fact that I am destined to be another fat American and wallow in self pity, I've decided to do something about it.
The first step I did was consult my friend, who is a food connoisseur. She can cook just about anything and loves to eat. Ironically, she is skinny. I asked her to take on the challenge of being my personal dietitian. She accepted and our project began with a trip to the grocery store.
She noticed my kitchen was full of processed foods that were not "real food", which would contribute to my weight problem. She went through the store with me and we were both surprised at how much food was not actual food. Most common foods that we buy every day are nothing but crap. Apparently the food that is optimal to eat are the ones in which you can pronounce all of the ingredients and preferably have very little ingredients.
The next challenge was to start cooking. We rearranged my kitchen and got to work. We ate poached shrimp, quinoa, and tomato and spinach soup. I had never tried quinoa, but it was very tasty. We have spent the past few days cooking and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. If you knew me, this is something that you would never expect to hear. My husband, as well as most of my friends do not think this will last. I must prove them wrong.
So the adventure begins...more to come.
Over the past few years, I have put on forty pounds. I don't look really fat but I am definitely thick. This may be because I am getting older and my metabolism is no longer what is used to be. Rather than accept the fact that I am destined to be another fat American and wallow in self pity, I've decided to do something about it.
The first step I did was consult my friend, who is a food connoisseur. She can cook just about anything and loves to eat. Ironically, she is skinny. I asked her to take on the challenge of being my personal dietitian. She accepted and our project began with a trip to the grocery store.
She noticed my kitchen was full of processed foods that were not "real food", which would contribute to my weight problem. She went through the store with me and we were both surprised at how much food was not actual food. Most common foods that we buy every day are nothing but crap. Apparently the food that is optimal to eat are the ones in which you can pronounce all of the ingredients and preferably have very little ingredients.
The next challenge was to start cooking. We rearranged my kitchen and got to work. We ate poached shrimp, quinoa, and tomato and spinach soup. I had never tried quinoa, but it was very tasty. We have spent the past few days cooking and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. If you knew me, this is something that you would never expect to hear. My husband, as well as most of my friends do not think this will last. I must prove them wrong.
So the adventure begins...more to come.
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