Healthy Living.

Healthy living means never eating fast food.  Never!  Not even subways.

Healthy living means skipping a meal now and then.  Especially if you “overdid it” the day before.

Healthy living means never eating fatty foods like olive oil.  Or avocado…

…or nut butters, for that matter.  Fat = fattening.  Avoid it!

Healthy living means learning how to take control of yourself and never—ever!—eating your favorite foods, ever again.  Just say no.

Healthy living means choking down a ton of tasteless, colorless veggies.

Healthy living means never taking another bite of anything with carbohydrates.  They’re bad for you.  Horrible.  In fact, they will instantly add weight to your thighs and butt, making you feel tired and sluggish.

You need to also look out for things like apples, carrots, and sugar beets.  Keep an eye out for these top three danger foods, which are sometimes seen at your local farmers market.

Healthy living means exercising for hours and hours…

…and hating every second of it.

Obviously.

Oh, and since we’re on the topic?

No.

Walking around and exploring a new city does not count as exercise.  I’m surprised you even asked.

Healthy living means never being satisfied with your body.  There’s always something that could use improving, and it’s your job to figure out what that something is!

Healthy living means packing yourself boring lunches that taste like cardboard.  Because it’s healthy and that’s what healthy people do.

As you can see, healthy living is pretty miserable stuff.  But a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. 😉

TODAY’s CHALLENGE: Find a way to be more active aside from “exercising.”  Take two 10 minute walking breaks during the day.  Park your car in the furthest parking spot.  Take the stairs.  Walk around the mall two times before actually shopping.  Walk to the furthest bathroom at work.  Most importantly, have FUN with it! 😀

Advertisement

mind over matter

Good Morning!!

I woke up nice and early so that I could tackle the ever growing to-do list.  Most of which entailed homework, homework and homework.  And a run of course.  😀

 

I made the same batch of oatmeal that I had yesterday.  When something tastes amazing, I need to have it at least twice before moving on.  Maybe three. 

What is it about polka dots that make it nearly impossible not to smile???

 

Morning Snack: Pink Lady with a scoop of Trader Joe’s Almond Butter

 

 I can’t figure out if today’s run was challenging or easy.  My legs felt fresh and energetic—almost floaty!  But my mind was not cooperating.  I kept repeating the mantra: mind over matter.  It seemed to pull me through the tough hills and the summer heat, but I was still not feeling it mentally.  I’m used to stopping my run based on knee pain, but lately I’ve been wanting to stop due to my lack of endurance.  It’s such a strange feeling!

Lunch

Mixed greens.  Chickpeas.  Green Olives.  Half a cooked sweet potato.  Leftover green & wax beans.

+ olive oil and balsamic vinegar

I ate the greens on the green.  😉  Eating outdoors is one of summer’s many treats.

 

 + more green in the form of Green and Black.

Not the chocolate’s fat “bloom” (cocoa butter goes to the surface of the chocolate, turning it gray as it recrystallizes) after going through many heat changes.  It’s one of the many random facts that I held on to after taking my Food Service Class.  Thankfully, the bloom doesn’t change the flavor.  Still as delicious as ever. 😀

 

 Afternoon Snack: 6-oz. plain yogurt + 2 T. crushed flax + Natures Path Pumpkin Flax Granola + Almond Butter

 

Lentils.  They’ve saved me before, and they’ve saved me again.  I can always count on lentils. 

There’s always a bag sitting in the back of my pantry for emergency purposes.  It’s one of those staples that I have a connection with.  You know, one of those ingredients that just works with whatever ingredient I decide to throw it together with.  Everything from salsa to spinach to feta cheese and cranberries.  Lentils never let me down.

Tonight’s recipe was no exception.

 

 If you love curries, lentils or spicy food in general, you’ll enjoy this dish.  Best of all, it works with the ingredients that you probably already have on hand.  And as much as I hate to say it, you could probably even sub in garbanzo beans for the lentils.  This dish is as versatile as you need it to be!

Curried Lentils in Tomato Sauce(recipe idea from Martha Stewart Living)

• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• heavy hand of ground ginger (or fresh)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more if desired)
• 1-14oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1-14oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1-8oz. can of tomato paste
• 2 cans (20 oz. each) cooked lentils, rinsed and drained (I cook my own rather than using canned, but either way works fine!)
• 2 T. lemon juice
• cooked brown rice for serving

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium.  Add onion and ginger.  Cook until beginning to brown, 5-8 minutes.
2. Add spices; cook for one more minute.
3. Add tomato products, lentils and 1 c. water.  Simmer until thickened, 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in lime juice.
4. Serve over rice.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.

I added shaved parmesan on top of mine, and served with roasted broccoli on the side.

Off to water the flower garden!  I remained productive today which was good, but I’m such a zombie right now.  Hopefully a little fresh air will help. 😉

Question: Do you have any staples that you always keep stocked up in your pantry?  I can always count on there being a bag of lentils (or canned beans), pasta, and diced tomatoes.  You can do a lot with these three simple ingredients. 😀

Stuffed Zucchini

Everyone, I would like for you to meet my Pepere…

 

A few things you should know.  My Pepere grew up in New Brunswick, Canada.  He understands the concept of working hard for what you get.  He doesn’t let people walk all over him.  He likes to hear about my college and (future) career life.  He always encourages me, and when I start to get anxious about the dietetic internship, he simply says, “You can only do the best that you can do.  That’s it.  Worrying isn’t going to do anything.”

I learn a lot from my Pepere.

He also adds ketchup and peanut butter to everything—everything!  So now you know why I am the way I am.  In case you were ever wondering.

I spent my entire morning painting Pepere’s garage, and I couldn’t have been happier.  He paid me, despite the fact that I was shaking my head “no”.  He likes to pay his grandkids for working hard, whether that’s college or—in this case—painting.  What he doesn’t realize is that I’d be more then happy to just sit down to a good meal, while listening to him tell stories from his childhood in Canada.  The movie theatre that he worked in as a young teenager.  What he saw as a young man, living in Montreal.  How they managed to hunt down a full grown moose and haul it out from the thick Canadian woods (!!!)

Stories.  Lots and lots of stories.  I never grow tired of hearing them, and there always seems to be a new one to share.  I love it.

Oh, and the meal.  If my Memere were still around, she would have been so impressed with this stuffed zucchini that my mom made.  It’s Memere’s official “top secret” recipe, that my mom reluctantly shared with me for the blog.  I told her that you guys were all great cooks and would do this recipe proud if you ever decide to make it. 😉  We served it with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed carrots for a country-styled meal.

Bon Appetit! 😀

Stuffed Zucchini

• 1-lb. lean hamburg
• 1 very large zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. bread crumbs
• 1 slice wet bread
• salt and pepper
• 1 small onion
• parsley (a little)
• small clove garlic
• 1 T. parmesan cheese
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can stewed tomatoes

1. Take out seeds of zucchini until it is hollowed out (but keep some of the fleshy part in there!) 
2. Combine hamburg through parmesan cheese.
3. Stuff hallowed out zucchini with the hamburg mixture.
4. Add zucchini to roasting pan, and pour tomato sauce and stewed tomatoes on top.
5.  Bake for 1-1/2 hr. at 375, or until zucchini is tender.

Question: Do you take after anyone in your family, with certain quirks, likes/dislikes, personality, etc?