Cabbage and Vegetable Soup

When I received my Bountiful Basket on Saturday, the first thing I thought was: what the heck am I going to do with cabbage?? Cabbage is the stinky vegetable that Ralphie had to eat on A Christmas Story. Cabbage is the icky thing in the icky coleslaw (dear God I hate coleslaw). I had to get past my 4 year old instinct (eeeewwww cabbage) and think like the adult I am: now Brenna, you have tried many new things over the past few months; cabbage won't kill you). I turned to my best Internet friend...Pinterest. Pinterest, the place where everyone is a master chef, a fitness instructor, parent extraordinaire, and Martha Stewart all rolled into one. I knew there had to be some appetizing recipe where cabbage was the main ingredient. After all, I had two heads of cabbage to use. Since I apparently should have been born during the Great Depression, I hate to waste anything. (I'm also super cheap, but lets not go there). I found a few recipes for cabbage soup, or magic diet soup as the Pinterest world refers to it. It all sounded very similar to the vegetable beef soup my momma showed me how to make, with just a few tweaks to it. Most of the recipes I saw called for cabbage, onion, and tomato to be the only vegetables. Seeing as how I had a plethora (love that word) of veggies, I decided to change it to suit my taste.

Cabbage and Vegetable Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 celery ribs, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 zucchini, halved and chopped

1 quart fat-free beef broth

1 quart vegetable broth

1/2 head of cabbage, cored and chopped

1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes

Sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, and zucchini in the olive oil until the onion is translucent. 

Add in both quarts of broth and cabbage. Stir and bring to a boil. Add in the crushed tomatoes. Summer for up to 1 hour.

So simple. The hardest thing about this recipe was getting the dang core out of the cabbage. Seriously, how do you do that? Anyway, that's all there is to it. I added a bit of salt and pepper to taste. 

The finished product was a hearty soup, chock full of good-for-you veggies. As a lunch, I would add in some cooked quinoa, tofu, chicken, or turkey to make it more filling. It could also be made vegetarian by using 2 quarts of vegetable broth instead of the beef broth. I estimate that it makes 12 servings, with each serving being 1 WW PointsPlus.

Munch on, friends :)

Bountiful Baskets

In the past 4 months, I've been trying to eat more fruits and veggies. I've always liked them, but I hardly buy them at the store unless they're frozen or canned. Then, last week while visiting family, I heard about Bountiful Baskets. Bountiful Baskets is a volunteer food co-op that distributes produce baskets, organic produce baskets, breads, and other items every other week. There are quite a few states that participate in this program. It helps the participants receive healthy food items in a cost-effective way. The conventional fruits and veggies basket is $15, while the certified organic is $10 more. There are many add-ons featured each week, such as artisan breads, veggie theme packs (Mexican, Asian, etc), tortillas, bulk fruits, or granola. The produce is local if possible, and regional when local is not available.

Now, I was immediately drawn to the idea, especially when I heard that the baskets come with a lot of items. The next day at noon (the local contribution time), I went online, set up an account, and ordered my first basket. Since it was my first time, there was an additional $3 charge to buy more baskets. I also added a 28 oz bag of tropical granola that was offered. I eagerly waited till I could pick it up on Saturday. I know, I'm a dork. I couldn't wait to see what my order contained! Apparently, fruits and veggies become über exciting when you don't know exactly what you'll get. :)

Saturday came, in all it's rainy glory. I drove 15 minutes to my pickup site and stood in line. It was a good thing I had my backpack in my car because I had forgotten to bring a reusable bag to cart home my goodies. When I finally got up to the front of the line, they pulled aside two small laundry baskets full of produce. I assumed it would just be one! I quickly sorted through my produce and tried to fit it all in my bag. There was so much, I had to carry some in my hands. I believe I was giggling on my way to the car, because, once again, I'm a dork. Here's the rundown of what I received in my $15 basket...

2 heads of cabbage
1 bag of romaine hearts
1 lb of carrots
1 stalk of celery
1 box of mushrooms
3 large cucumbers
1 bag of large red grapes
2 mangoes

6 nectarines

1 package of blueberries

3 oranges

Try buying all of that for $15 at the grocery store. Pretty sure you can't! Now, I had never had cabbage so I wasn't sure what to do with it at first. I decided I would take this opportunity to use some new veggies in different dishes than what we normally eat! Not sure if I'll like the mangoes. I'm not a fan of mango flavor, but who knows? Oh, on the granola: my husband ate about a quarter of the bag in one sitting. I guess granola will become one of our regular add ons!

I was very pleased with this program. I find it to be a wonderful way to try new fruits, veggies, and artisan items that I normally wouldn't buy at the store. Check out the website to see if there is a Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op in your area!!

Munch on, friends :)  

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

Vegetarianism has always appealed to me. I'm not the biggest fan of ground beef, or any beef to be honest. Chicken is good but I get tired of it. Pork? I seldom want pork. I just don't like the taste of a lot of meat. Now that I'm cooking more meals and trying to eat better, I'm incorporating more meatless options into my dining. I try and do this more for lunch, since my hubby is a typical carnivore. No veggie options for him!!

One of my favorite new foods I've tried is quinoa. Quinoa is an excellent little grain that is very versatile. It is high in protein (8 grams per cup) and low in fat (3 grams per cup), which makes it a great addition to vegetarian cooking, or just to cut down the fat in your regular meat dishes. One cup of cooked quinoa has 5 grams of fiber as well.  According to Livestrong, quinoa is a completed protein. This means it has the eight essential amino acids your body needs. Enough about the science of quinoa. It tastes great! I find it has a slight nutty taste by itself. My favorite thing about quinoa is that it can be used in many dishes, from breakfast to a meat substitute to even dessert! It is easy to cook and makes a lot (for every one cup of uncooked quinoa, it produces about 3 cups of cooked quinoa). It's becoming easier to find in grocery stores. The first time I ever saw quinoa was I. The bulk section at Central Market. Now I buy it at Walmart!

Quinoa and Black Bean Tacos

1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
1 tablespoon taco seasoning, or 1 packet taco seasoning
1 can black beans, rinsed
Corn tortillas
Lettuce or spinach leaves
Salsa
Shredded cheese
Sour cream

Begin by boiling the water or broth. When the liquid is boiling, add in the quinoa and turn down the heat. Cook the quinoa over medium heat for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Let it sit for about 5 minutes, or until the quinoa has soaked up the water. Fluff with a fork.  Add in the taco seasoning and black beans. Combine until all the seasoning is mixed in. Take your corn tortillas and place them on a cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven. Heat until the edges start to turn up. The tortillas will remain soft but pliable and warm.  Place a couple spoonfuls of the quinoa mixture in each tortilla. Top with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

I used two small corn tortillas with 1/3 cup of the quinoa mixture on each. I topped mine with spinach leaves, shredded cheese, light sour cream, and salsa. Both tacos were a total of 7 WW PointsPlus. 

 I have a lot left over, too! This mixture would be good in a salad or in a wrap as well. It would also be a good substitute for a southwest-style breakfast, if you don't eat eggs. Over the next few weeks, I will be trying new quinoa ideas as well! Munch on, friends!

Light and Healthy Cauliflower Alfredo Sauce

One of my favorite dishes ever is pasta with alfredo sauce. Or just alfredo sauce...with anything. Pasta, bread, a spoon...doesn't matter. Unfortunately, alfredo is not a light sauce usually. It's full of heavy cream and butter. Sooooo not health-friendly, until now!

I've seen so many recipes on Pinterest that incorporate cauliflower into the dish. I've tried cauliflower pizza crust, but that didn't turn out so well. I still wanted to see why so many pins are focused around cauliflower. That's when I found the recipe for cauliflower alfredo sauce. I figured, what the heck, I'll try it. Plus, my husband insisted he did not like cauliflower, so I wanted to see if he really did. I found the recipe from hungrycouplenyc that seemed to fit exactly what I wanted. I made a couple adjustments for dietary purposes, but other than that, I followed the recipe. I was glad I did! I took a normally stinky vegetable and turned it into a magnificent, creamy, delicious alfredo-style sauce that was devoured by both my husband and I!

Cauliflower alfredo sauce

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons of butter
1 cup cooking liquid
1/2 cup milk
Parmesan cheese

Boil the cauliflower until cooked. While the cauliflower is boiling, sauté garlic in the butter until translucent. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid from cauliflower and add in 1/2 cup milk. Drain the cauliflower. Add in cauliflower, butter/garlic, and liquid to blender. Purée until smooth. Add Parmesan cheese and purée. If it's too thick, add some more milk.

1/2 cup serving = 2 WW PointsPlus

I was very surprised at how creamy the sauce turned out without heavy cream or copious amounts of butter. I had to stop myself from eating the whole bowl by itself! It's a very versatile sauce. For dinner, I used it as a sauce for a pasta dish. I combined whole wheat penne pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, and grilled chicken with 2 cups of the sauce. It was awesome! So awesome that my husband went back for a second serving, even after knowing he was eating cauliflower. 

Other uses for the sauce could be as a white sauce for pizza, the base for queso, or as an enchilada sauce when you add sour cream. I used lactose-free milk in this dish, but you could also use regular or unsweetened almond/soy/rice milk to fit your dietary needs. 

I see this being added into our meal rotation for a long time to come. Try it out for yourself!

Weight Watchers week 1 update

After my first week doing Weight Watchers, I lost 4 pounds. I was surprised at how quick I was able to adjust to the portion sizes. I liked that I was able to swap my activity points at the end of the day for a small snack after my workout. I love the barcode scanner app! I found it useful when I was grocery shopping. I'm looking forward to trying some different recipes from the WW website soon.

Other updates: I took more than a minute off of my average minutes per mile record on Sunday. I have a 5K at the end of August, so I've been incorporating more running into my workout routine. I also knew I needed to add my cardio to burn fat. Also, I've noticed my clothes are fitting better. A dress shirt I bought in the spring is fitting better than when I bought it. I was also able to wear a pair of dress pants I haven't fit in since last year. Motivators, baby!

I forgot to take measurements for this past week, but I will add measurements into my tracking. Looking forward to getting closer to my ultimate goal!

Snack time!

One of my favorite things, as well as something that hinders my progress, is snacking. I just like to graze throughout the day, munching a little something in the morning, before I workout, or while watching the ball game at night. Now, small meals aren't bad. In fact, I feel better eating 5 or 6 small meals rather than 3 big meals. It's all about what you eat though. 5 or 6 small meals of Cheez-Its or Thin Mints are no bueno (but they do taste good). I've complied a list of healthy snacks when ya just need to nosh. These are different than just grabbing an apple out of the fruit basket. Being creative with your healthy snacks is fun!

* Frozen grapes: I divide up a bunch of grapes into snack size bags and immediately put them in the freezer. Portion control and a frosty treat!

* Plain Greek yogurt topped with sliced fruit: this is also good for breakfast! Less sugar than the fruit-flavored yogurt. Try adding unsweetened coconut or a small amount of granola for a filling breakfast.

* Dehydrated fruit and nut mix: make your own trail mix! You can control what you have in it. Watch out for portion size though. While fruit is good, it's high in sugar, especially store bought dehydrated fruits.

* Celery sticks and nut butter/hummus: I like to buy the precut celery sticks. They already have all the gross strings off! When it's already prepared, I'm more likely to eat it. Both nut butter and hummus are a good source of protein.

* Any raw veggie and hummus: this is about the only way I eat raw carrots. Broccoli and cauliflower is also good with this Mediterranean dip. 

* Air popped popcorn with lime juice and hot sauce: okay, I might be the only one that likes this. Try it...deeeeelicious!

* Hardboiled eggs: quick pick-me-up in the afternoon. Eggs, not just for breakfast!

I also like the 100 calorie packs of chips and crackers. Sometimes, ya just need a Cheez-It. 

Please add your snack ideas in the comments below! :)

Weight Watchers

Well, it's been 3 months since I started this journey. My exercise part has been good. My diet, eh, not so much. I needed something to hold me accountable, since I wasn't doing that myself. I was watching calories but still eating high fat junk. My portion sizes has reduced but were not what I wanted. I decided to join Weight Watchers.

I've done Weight Watchers in the past, but would quit when I got frustrated. I know this time I can't do that to myself anymore. I'm doing the online tools for now but might join up with the meetings in the future. I like how I can scan something in the grocery store and immediately see the points per serving. I also like that there's a kitchen companion app for the iPad. I can easily pull up WW approved recipes and generate a list of ingredients. Another thing that intrigues me about WW is swapping points. I can swap my accumulated activity points for a treat, such as my fave green tea frapuccino! 

As with anything else, it will only work if I work with it. I will be weighing in and doing measurements each Monday. I will post those numbers as well as a picture of my weekly chart in this blog. Putting it all out there will help keep me accountable!

If you have any websites with WW recipes or other healthy recipes, let me know in the comments!

Mexican Chicken Salad

So I haven't posted in over a month!! Sorry about that! I kept putting off my blogging for other things, you know, like being lazy and watching Netflix. Well, the lazy days are over. Isn't it easy to be lazy when it's so bloody hot outside?! I don't want to do anything but lay around with some lemonade in my nice air conditioning.

When it's this hot out, I don't want to cook. Well, I want to cook but it heats up the house too much. I use my crock pot a lot during the summer, or make sandwiches and salads. One meal I make to break up the sandwich monotony is my mexican chicken salad. Super easy and no cooking involved.

2 cans chunk chicken breast, fat free, drained

1 package frozen corn, thawed

1 can black beans, drained (I forgot this when I was making it and had to add it later)

1 small can green chilies

Salsa verde, to taste

Cheddar cheese, if wanted

Cilantro

Garlic powder

Chili powder

Mix everything together and chill in fridge. Super easy. Goes great in salads, served with chips, or by itself. 

 

2 months healthier

March 26: This was the day that kicked off this journey. I went to my first workout at Synergy Fitness. It kicked my butt into the dirt. I had never actually thrown up after working out, but I did that day! I considered giving up. Why do something that is sooo HARD!!! I wanted to say, forget this, it's not worth it. Looking back, I'm glad I didn't give up. 

This is me, just a week before I started working out. I hated taking pictures where you could see all of me. I had a big ol' belly and my face was all swollen. It was embarrassing to say the least.

Fast forward two months, May 26. Hey look at that! There's an actual waist! In two months time, I've lost 8 pounds. I also lost 3 and a half inches around my waist (wow!), 1 inch around my hips, and 1 inch from my thighs. 

It's not been easy. It's been very hard. I've wanted to give up so many times. Every time I get shin splints, blisters, or sore ankles, I ask myself "why are you doing this?!" Every time I go to the grocery store, my inner fat girl says, "oh, go ahead and get that slice of cheesecake. It's just one. While you're at it, grab some Cheez-Its too." If I gave into my inner voices, I wouldn't have this picture. I wouldn't be where I am now. 

For anyone out there trying to lose weight, kick a bad habit, or continue in their journey towards health, don't give up. It's a journey, not a one stop trip. Every road has bumps, potholes, twists, and turns. This trip is the same. There might be setbacks. I had a week where I gained 2 pounds and another couple weeks where I didn't lose any. That's okay! It just showed me what I needed to improve upon. Remember: it's not going to happen all at once. I didn't gain this weight all in one day, I won't lose it that quickly either! Keep trekking on! :)

Health: more than just exercise and diet

Over the past year, I've realized health is more than watching what I eat and exercising. It's also about taking care of my mental health. I've had issues with depression and anxiety for a few years now. I used to have uncontrollable crying spells followed by extreme elation. I would have panic attacks almost daily. I remember vividly sitting on my kitchen counter, holding my knees to my chest, and wanting to scream. I would panic at the thought of meeting new people, not a good thing when we were planning on moving to a new city. I wanted to sleep all day long. I would scream at my husband over every little thing without realizing it. It took a toll on my physical health as well as my relationship with my husband. I thought there was no hope for me.

Back in October 2012, I had a breakdown, or as I like to jokingly call it, my "crazies". It was so bad that I finally decided I needed to push my pride aside and get medical help. My mother read up on something called PMDD, or premenstrual dysphoric disorder. We realized my depression spells and rages would always be the week before my period, and then would calm down. PMDD is like extreme PMS. It's diagnosed when it becomes severe enough to disrupt your everyday life. Clearly, my life had been disrupted. I brought up my symptoms to the doctor and she agreed it sounded like PMDD. I was prescribed Prozac for my depression and birth control to help regulate my imbalanced hormones. 

It's now been 6 months since I went to the doctor. The difference in how I feel is night and day. I don't want to hide in my room all day. I don't feel like crying all the time. I haven't had any of my rages. My husband has said he has noticed a huge difference as well. Also, the physical PMS symptoms are decreased. 

I should have sought help back years ago. I should have been more willing to discuss what I was feeling. I felt as if it was just a natural thing to have such big mood swings, because I was used to it. I thought if I mentioned something might be wrong that it would be looked at as weakness (stupid pride!). It took a very dark time in my life to make me realize I needed to get help. I needed to get help for me, for my husband and our marriage, for my family, and for our future children. I got help for me and for all those out there who were in my shoes: scared that no one would understand but desperately seeking answers. 

Don't be scared if you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or other issues. Please find someone you trust and talk to them. Talk to a counselor or a doctor. Your health is worth it. One of the best things I did for my health was to pick up the phone and make the hardest call I've ever made. It was worth it.