Recipe: DIY "Farmington Valley Salad" - THM (E)

Well helloooooo.

Yes, yes - I took another hiatus but I'm back and I promise you won't be disappointed with this recipe I've returned with! 

But first a quick update with where I'm at. I'm bouncing a bit weight-wise but still feeling really good. I'm taking my Juice Plus every day and using my Complete shakes sparingly as I'm going to do the D14 in a few weeks again! I'm staying as much gluten and dairy free as I can and I have to say it's keeping me feeling deflated most of the time which is great!! 

Ok enough about that. On to this new salad I'm obsessed with. Not sure I've mentioned this before but I grew up in Farmington, Connecticut. There's a bakery in the corner as you come into our town and it was called Ann Howard's. It's now called Truffles and they also have a location in Avon, CT which is where I first had the Farmington Valley Salad with my BFF, Dana.

It's delicious! And of course a salad made by anyone else but you always tastes better - am I right? Yes - it's just true. Since I live close to the area but not quite close enough to get this salad as often as I crave it I decided to experiment and create my own. 

Well, clearly certain ingredients aren't hard to re-create...ya know like lettuce. Heh. Sorry - I'm silly. However it's always the dressing that is the hardest to re-create. But thanks to the wonderful world of people on Pinterest I found a really great recipe for the balsamic dressing that I love!! Yay!

So here is the recipe for the dressing from Brianne at Cupcakes and Kale Chips.
 

I'm just going to tell you now to double the ingredients because you're going to be sad when it runs out. Trust me. Speaking from experience here :(

I used 0% plain greek yogurt and only had regular yellow mustard.  I added garlic powder to mine as well. I whipped mine up all in the food processor.

For the ingredients for the salad, you'll need:

1. Any kind of lettuce or greens you like.  Here I used romaine and baby spinach.  The salad at Truffle's comes with mixed greens so next time I will make sure I use those :)
2. Grilled chicken
3. A handful of red grapes sliced in half
4. A pinch of dried cranberries
5. A tablespoon or two of feta cheese or any other type of hard cheese (remember for THM it's an E setting so have to watch the fat grams!)
6. 1/4 to a half of a granny smith apple chopped
7. The delicious, glorious, creamy balsamic dressing recipe
Note: The original salad comes with sliced almonds but I omitted them because I had none and I kept the fat content down for the Trim Healthy Mama E meal.
 

Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl to toss

 

All tossed with the dressing - snapped the pic while eating!

This salad is colorful, crunchy and just so tasty.  I will definitely be making this quite often.

For THM it's an E with the added fruit and the lower fat dressing.  Be mindful of the honey in the dressing, too.  I tolerate it well but you can add any sweetener of your choice if you do not wish to use honey.

There you have it - let me know if you make it and what you think!
~Carly

The D14 Day 5

Wow, this is quite a few days in a row of me posting! I have to be honest - I really had NO intention of posting every day but I cannot help myself!

Now on Day 5 and woke to the same number on the scale as yesterday which was a little surprising only because I have been seeing a drop every day since I started but that doesn't mean dissapointment! I'm still feeling awesome. It's funny because I always read people on a detox or cleanse feeling "clear" and I didn't really understand what that meant until now. My mind feels clear. I'm remembering more and feel more focused and honestly a little less crabby than normal. Coincidence? Not sure yet but I'm thinking its definetly a result of this. 

So, Day 5 has gone like this:

Wake up and have water and some coffee and water

Vanilla shake in blender with fruit and almond milk around 7:45 am

Lunch was around 11:45 so I drank my detox drink and quickly scrambled some eggs and had some trail mix quickly before I had to run out again.

Snacked on some rotisserie chicken and water around 4:30 pm

Then...dinner. My son requested pancakes for dinner and I couldn't disagree. Not only because it is his birthday but also because it sounded yummy. But I'm on a strict 14 days here - so what to do? 

Make pancakes out of my Complete mix of course! It's a packet of vanilla, 1/2 cup of gluten free oat flour, one egg and two tsp of baking powder and about 1/4 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Mix all ingredients together and voilà - pancakes!!! I added blueberries, too.

Oh they were deeelish. It's about 8:40 pm and I'm still full.

Enjoy the evening!

~Carly

Recipe: A Summer Quiche

Hello! Yes, yes - been some time again since my last post. But I promise this post will surely make up for my lack of posting. Last weekend I was blessed and fortunate enough to go away with my friend to her family's home on Shelter Island in New York. It was the second year in a row I've been invited and it's just a rejuvenating and wonderful experience. The home is beautiful and just amazing to be there. Truly.

A view I captured from Sunset Beach on Shelter Island, NY

While we were there, my friend Tracy made us breakfast each morning and she came up with this amazing quiche that I replicated last week (minus a few ingredients). It's got a fresh take and an ingredient you just may not ever think to include in a quiche but I assure you it's deeeeelish!

And fortunately two ingredients now are in full swing this summer season and you can likely grab them at your local farm stand or farmers market: zucchini and tomatoes.

Yep. That's right zucchini and squash.

What?!?! you say?  Yes.  So did I. Until I tried it and it was the best tasting quiche I think I've ever had. So run to the market and grab some squash, zucchini and tomatoes and whip this up.  I promise you it does not disappoint.

Oh, and for my fellow THM-ers this recipe would be an S.

Ingredients

1-2 medium sized zucchini or summer squash chopped (last week I used both yellow and green squashes but this week I only had green)

1 medium tomato chopped 

1 or 1/2 large yellow onion chopped 

Fresh basil (if possible) chopped

Dried oregano to taste 

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of butter or coconut oil

Non stick spray or butter for pan

5-6 large eggs 

1/2 cup of heavy cream or 1/2 and 1/2

1 cup of shredded cheese - I used a Mexican blend but mozzarella or any of your choosing will do

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet place butter or coconut oil and heat onion and zucchini until softened. Add tomatoes half way through just to soften.

2. Add herbs, salt and pepper to veggies.

3. In a large mixing bowl scramble eggs and combine cream. Then, add shredded cheese.

4. Spray or coat round baking pan or dish with nonstick coat.

5. With a slotted spoon, transfer veggies to the large mixing bowl - the tomatoes and veggies can leave liquid which you do not want in quiche! Mix well.

6. Pour all ingredients into baking pan/dish and bake for about 30-40 minutes depending on your oven and baking dish.

Softening the veggies 

Add the tomatoes last to soften - drain with slotted spoon

All mixed up and ready to bake

Ready to cook!  I can't hardly wait to eat this

Ta-dahhh! Done.  Oh and I made my husband a ham and cheese quiche too :)

So, what do you think?  So easy and fresh and a fantastic way to get in some additional veggies.  You could add anything else to this also - bacon or any other veggies you have laying around. 

I hope you have a great Sunday!  Now, onto laundry and cleaning.  

~Carly

Recipe: Apple Cake

Hello!  Long time, no post (again).

Anywhooo - Fall as arrived and we took full advantage this past weekend and went to Pumpkintown, USA here in Connecticut followed by some apple picking.

I scored some white pumpkins at the farm and then this week I found a cute "Give Thanks" sign at Target to enhance our family room decor - which can totally apply to both Halloween and Thanksgiving. Multitasking!  The leaves and foliage are really starting to come out and I'm loving Fall - in case you couldn't already tell.

My Fall Mantle - not done yet!

If you've visited here before, you may know I'm following the Trim Healthy Mama way of eating and I have had some great success lately after some pounds creeped back on over the summer and vacation in August.

I'm happy to be back on track and at an almost all time low weight and smaller inch-wise after I finished a three week Fuel Cycle.  I'm happy to report that I'm currently wearing today a pair of true pre-pregnancy pants - cute capri pants I haven't worn since ohhhh 2007 maybe?! I'm SO happy to see my efforts on the scale and in my clothing and how things are fitting!

However, this post is a recipe post so I'll post a full and detailed re-cap on that soon enough to share with you.

Onto the apple recipe!

I came across this recipe from Julia's Album somewhere (Facebook or Pinterest maybe? I get around...the Internet...hah!) and decided I needed to use up some of these fresh apples we picked.

I modified it to my THM guidelines and this would be considered an E (Energizing) dessert or snack.
So again, not my recipe but tweaked for my purposes!

Apple Cake - THM version
This recipe could also be gluten free if you use certified gluten free oat flour or grind your own gluten free oats!  The apple sauce and greek  yogurt make this cake very tasty and light!  

Ingredients:

• 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into chunks
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar (NOTE: you can use a THM version of Gwen's brown sugar but I used a tiny bit of real brown sugar but it's up to you!) 
• 1 and 1/4 cup oat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup on plan sweetner - I used a combination of Truvia and pure stevia extract (original recipe called for 1 cup regular sugar)
• 1/2 cup apple sauce (original called for oil)
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 egg whites (original recipe called for 2 eggs)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and also grease a square pan - 9 by 9 or 8 by 8 is good

2.  In one bowl combine chopped apple pieces and cinamon and your choice of brown sugar - real or THM version. 

3. In another larger mixing bowl, combine oat flour, baking powder and salt.

Half the batter and half the apples

4. In yet another bowl - sorry for all the dirty dishes we are creating! - whisk together the sweetner of your choice, apple sauce, yogurt, egg whites and vanilla extract until combined. 

5. Add the dry items into the wet ingredients and combine completely - don't over mix!

6. Take about half the batter and pour into greased pan and take half the apple chunks and pour on that.  Then, layer on the rest of the other half of the batter and then top again with the other half of the apples. 

7.  Bake for one hour.

It smells soooo deelish in my house right now!  I can't wait to eat this recipe!  And a food blogger I clearly am not so I do apologize since as I am baking I'm all "oh hey, I should snap some pictures."

Finished baking!  Yummm

A food blogger wanna be I am - hot and fresh apple cake!

Wow, this does not disappoint!  It's warm, apple cakey goodness.  A must-make for sure!

Enjoy!
~Carly

Recipe: Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Spread/Dip

Wow - two months off and then two blog posts in one day?!?! Who am I?

Well, this recipe has been on my mind since my lovely friend Tracy made it and brought it to share one day at the pool club.  It is so yum. Then yesterday she dropped off a lovely eggplant for me and some red ripe tomatoes from her family's garden and I knew I needed to make this dip.

And, you already know I love eggplant so this was a no-brainier for me to make.

I found this recipe from Ina Gartner and I omitted the tomato paste.  However, next time I'd probably add it as it would give a little more substance to the dip itself.

A food blogger I am NOT but here are some pics regardless. Humor me  :)

All chopped and ready for olive oil, salt and pepper

My mom bought me these awesome grinders from Traders Joes

Ready to roast

Amazing how much it shrinks when it cooks

Into the food processor

All blended

Taste testing with a Wasa for all my fellow THM-ers!

I'd say this recipe is a win. I plan to make it quite a bit.  This is also THM friendly - I'd say it may even be used in an S or E setting depending on how much olive oil you use and how many servings you eat.  I bet it would be heavenly with Lavash Crackers or even as a spread on some of Gwen's Bread.

Oh boy...now I need to whip up some of that this weekend.  Happy Friday!

~Carly

Recipe: Eggplant Parmigiana - THM style (S)

Hello! Sorry, I fell off the blogging bandwagon. But I'm back with a yummy recipe! That makes it all better, right?

I love Italian food. Well, I love all food, actually - but last night I made a pasta dish for my family using regular pasta. Pre-Trim Healthy Mama I would have easily had a bowl full and maybe more. So in keeping with the Italian theme for the evening I made myself some eggplant parmigiana. 

I didn't actually measure all the ingredients and just kind of winged it.  There's no exact science - as your using the "breading" mixture and find you're running low, just throw some more ingredients in the bowl.  Scroll down for the pictures I briefly snapped as I cooked.

Ingredients:

One large eggplant (or more depending on family size)

Almond meal or flour

Flax meal

2 eggs whisked

Oil for frying - coconut or olive oil - your choice!

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Tomato sauce of choice (if on THM make sure it's a no-added sugar sauce)

Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.  Wash, dry and then slice eggplant into 1 inch wide (or less) sliced pieces.  I usually don't use pieces towards the very top or very bottom of the eggplant - but that's just me.

2.  In a larger bowl combine about one cup of flax meal and a half cup of almond meal or flour.  Add Italian seasoning such as oregano, basil and parsley flakes to your mix and garlic powder to taste.  You may also add grated Parmesan cheese also for more flavor.  Be sure to combine well.

3.  Pour choice of oil in pan and begin to heat. Use enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan and give a good amount of liquid for the eggplant pieces to fry in.

4.  At this time you should pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

5.  In another wide opening bowl, whisk the two eggs together. Check to see if oil is heating up nicely.

6.  Submerge each piece of eggplant in the egg and flip to get both sides covered and then coat in the flax, almond meal, seasonings mix.

7.  Place in oil for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate with paper towel to absorb excess oils.

8.  Repeat egg and "breading mix" and frying until all pieces of eggplant are done.

9.  Take a large baking dish and place a small amount of sauce on bottom of it.  Begin layering the eggplant on top of the sauce.  Cover each piece of eggplant with some sauce on top.

10.  Cover with foil and bake in oven for 25-30 minutes to further soften the eggplant.

11.  Remove briefly to top with shredded mozzarella cheese to your liking and place back in oven to melt.

Sliced eggplant

Mixing up the "breading"

Fried to perfection!

Add a bit of sauce

Topped with cheese and voila!

Serve with Dreamfields pasta, a large side salad or any other veggies you'd like.  This recipe is a keeper for sure!

I plan on posting an update on my personal weight loss journey shortly.  No really, I promise! Soon!
~Carly

My Top Ten Tips for Trim Healthy Mama

Hello!

As you may know or have been reading, I've been following Trim Healthy Mama since mid December of 2013.  Today is Valentine's Day, and two days past my two month "trimmaversary" - so as my Valentine's gift to you, I'm sharing my top ten tips for success during my short time so far following THM.

Note:  I am not an expert nor claim to be on Trim Healthy Mama - so if you want more information and details you should definitely get your hands on the book!  These tips are just from my own experience thus far.

Image via Google Search

1.  Read the book.  Then read it AGAIN.  When I first read the book it was overwhelming.  It's A LOT of information to process all at once.  Trying to remember what they said about E's and S's and then S helpers - ahhhh.  My head spun.  Learning all the basics and putting them into action certainly helped me understand the true basics.  However, after a few weeks I began reading excerpts again here and there and it made SO much more sense the second time around.

2.  Menu Plan.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  So true on THM.  Pick meals to have for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  I write them down on a pre-printed calendar and use pencil because some days change before they can even begin!  Be flexible but have a general idea of what you have in the fridge, freezer and pantry for the week to make sure you have a general meal plan or else you may end up eating something you didn't want to eat.

3.  Truly stick to the 2.5-3 hour rule.  I did not do this at first and I didn't see the scale move.  While I felt better, I wasn't seeing results.  Then, someone posted an interesting tip on the Facebook page for THM - keep reading and see Tip #10 - that if you do not wait the 3 hours between S and E  you may be inadvertently creating a crossover meal which would hinder weight loss.  To ensure you can truly wait the few hours in between, make sure you're getting a wonderful serving of protein with your S or E meal.  If you truly cannot wait, it's best to have a similar fuel to your previous meal or a FP snack.  Or, guzzle some water or a THM drink to help tide you over.  Once I stuck to this rule, I saw a drop on the scale.

4.  Make the FSF and BBS your BFF.  The week I really saw a lot of weight loss was when I was incorporating the Fat Stripping Frappa or the Big Boy Smoothie.  Wowza - they are tasty and filling and Pearl and Serene really mean it when they say it strips the fat away!  They are Fuel Pulls at their core -depending what you add to them but you can pair them with your S or E meals or snacks for some extra help in the weight loss department.  I usually pair them with my E lunches because I tend to get hungry sooner eating them than if I ate an S lunch - which is normal!

5.  Shrinker and other THM drinks.  I love The Shrinker.  I also love the Good Girl Moonshine and the FSF and BBS I mentioned above.  There's also Bullet Proof Coffee which I have not yet tried but others rave about, THM Hot Chocolate and SO many other tasty drinks that you can have to keep things interesting and keep your metabolism going.  The Shrinker definitely kills cravings and keeps me satisfied until a next meal. And, they don't call it the Shrinker for nothing!  You can find all the drink recipes here on the THM Pinterest page.

6.  Don't underestimate the power of the E.  Also during my mega-weight loss week, I incorporated more E meals mostly for my lunches.  I made a tasty Veggie Quinoa Bean soup that was filling and delicious and made sure I had at least 3-5 E meals in my meal plan each week.  Carbs are not the enemy on this plan.  In this case the E meals replenish your body and keep your metabolism going.  I was a bit timid about the E meals at first but soon realized how important they are.  It's a little bit of trial and error to find the balance that keeps you going towards your goal, but don't exclude or forget them!

7.  Keep it simple.  With the amount of recipes in the book, the pins on Pinterest you can find and the lovely Internet it's easy to get confused about having to buy this ingredient you don't have it or haven't ever heard of it before.  One thing I love about THM is you don't have to buy anything over the top or crazy to eat this way. Some things are helpful and I would recommend but otherwise I find it best to keep recipes simple.  A grilled chicken salad with avocado, veggies and some plain balsamic vinegar is a great S meal and isn't complicated.  Also by keeping meals simple you can better learn the S, E and FP basics much quicker.

8.  Try new recipes.  So while it seems I may be a bit contradictory here with my previous "keep it simple" tip, I also found trying new recipes once I fully understood the basics was awesome.  It keeps your metabolism going and your taste buds happy, too.

9.  Don't forget some key rules. For example, I completely forgot that you can have up to one cup of berries with an S meal (1/2 cup if blueberries).  I was totally skimping on my fruit allowances (I learned go easy on the fruit though if you are carb sensitive!).  And, you can have other fruits like apples and some melon or oranges with your E meals.  I was so focused on the general rules, I forgot the other mini-rules!  See tip #1 again :)  Another key rule was to make sure your S meals aren't too, too heavy!  This hindered my weight loss for SURE - I mean, I could have avocado and cheese and nuts and coconut oil and almond flour and cheese cake?!?! Of course I went a little "nuts" - sorry couldn't resist.  But, when the scale wasn't moving, I lightened up my S meals and varied them and the scale started moving in the right direction.

10.  Join the Facebook support groups. When I first joined the groups, they were amazing for me to learn to decipher E, S, FP, Crossovers, GGMS and all the crazy acronyms and tips and tricks.  I thank all those people on the boards and the moderators who helped me learn the basics while I was reading and found encouragement and motivation in hearing their successes and learning from their "mistakes" along the way.  However, there came a time where I was not losing weight initially as I had hoped and I started to feel discouraged and fell into a "why not me" funk (the lack of E meals, the not waiting 2-3 hours, the too-heavy S meals).  I looked at all the before and afters and hearing how so many had lost 6 pounds, 10 pounds or more in their first three days or during their first week and here I was not losing barely a pound. But don't make the mistake I did and compare your progress to others! Everyone is different.  Pearl and Serene talk about how your body needs to heal and everyone may heal faster than others - and it depends on the dietary background you are coming from!  I did the 21 day sugar detox before starting THM so I may have been more "healed" than others so my weight loss wasn't as fast.  I had already cured my sugar cravings and eliminated many things from my diet so I may have started off better than someone coming from a "Standard American Diet" (not trying to be rude).  I wouldn't be here if it weren't for those support groups and the wonderful people on them.

Here's the main Facebook group page and a lovely Beginner Page they recently added.  They are closed groups so you have to request to be added.

So, there you have it - some of the main things that may be helpful that I've learned in my two short months on THM.

~Carly

Recipe: Veggie Bean-Quinoa Soup - THM E

Good morning!  After yet another snow day yesterday during this colder-than-normal winter here in Connecticut, I can help but continue to crave warm, hearty soups.

I didn't see this recipe made anywhere and I kind of just made it up on my own. It's definitely not genius or anything. 

But it is so good.  

There's nothing fancy in it and you can really add anything you have in the pantry or fridge that needs to be used up. Substitute or leave out ingredients based on your dietary needs or tastes.  For THM-ers this soup would be an E.

I call it Veggie Bean Quinoa Soup.  This recipe makes about 2-3 quarts of soup.

Ingredients:
1 Cup of purified water
1-2 box containers of veggie stock 

1 box Pomi diced tomatoes 

1 can of kidney beans

1 can of white beans (Canellini are my favorite but use whatever)

2-3 stalks celery chopped (I include the greens in the inside of the celery for more flavor)

1 carrot chopped 

1/2 of an onion chopped

1-2 green zucchini chopped

1-2 yellow squash chopped 

1/2 cup quinoa (cooked separately and add at end of soup cooking) 

Directions:
1. Rinse and chop all veggies.
2. Rinse and drain beans.
3. Pour cup of water, veggie stock, tomatoes and add all chopped ingredients and beans into a big stock pot.
4. In a separate smaller saucepan, cook quinoa according to the directions on your package. I use water to cook my quinoa but feel free to use any broth of flavoring you like.
5. Cook soup on medium-high heat until you achieve a rolling boil.  Turn down to low and simmer until veggies are tender - approximately 25-30 minutes.
6. Add cooked quinoa to rest of the soup.  Stir, add extra spices to taste and serve.

Veggie Bean Quinoa Soup.  Deelish.

This soup could not be easier.  Again, it makes quite a bit of soup so feel free to share with family, friends, neighbors or co-workers!  I gave a quart of soup to my neighbor the other day when her kids weren't feeling well and she raved about it.  

Let me know you like it if you try it and any variations you did!

~Carly

Pinterest Picks - 1/22/2014

Happy Wednesday! 

I found this and it really fits quite perfectly with the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle I'm following now.

I'm not deprived. I'm eating quality, whole foods, the right fats, veggies, fruits and lean proteins. 

I even eat homemade desserts and am able to enjoy pasta and pizza.  And, it's very true - I'm eating a bit more than I otherwise would and I'm losing weight.  Not by eating less, but by eating more of the right foods.   

~Carly

A Recipe of Lies

I can hardly believe it's almost the end of 2012.  With a new year comes a sense of starting fresh and renewal.  I don't know about you, but I personally have started to get away from the whole "resolutions" since they are usually over-zealous, over the top at times and tend to be hard to maintain - or at least the ones I've tried to keep up in the past.

My goal for most of last year and will be into 2013 is to be healthier.   As I mentioned, I'm a diet whore junkie and I've recently been following the Eat To Live plan by Dr. Fuhrman.  It's been going really, really great.  Aside from currently having a cold, I feel really good.  The weight is still not coming off as I'd hoped but I haven't weighed in again hoping for a bigger loss (fingers crossed!).  I'm also currently reading his books Super Immunity and Disease-Proof Your Child.  They're quite eye opening and informative.

Ok, back to the post and my recipe of lies.

So, for 2013 my goal is be healthier.  Not skinnier or fitter or anything like that.  I'm just striving for health.  Just this past weekend I actually got my husband on board with the whole cutting out processed foods and eating healthier idea also which is awe.some.  I've been on Pinterest for quite some time and I've come across some awesome blogs and resources for recipe, inspiration and so much more.  So as 2012 went on, I had already incorporated green smoothies and had been eating a more vegetarian diet.  Now, I'm almost borderline vegan (but not exactly) due to the Eat To Live plan.  And now with the hubby aboard the healthy train we should be in even better shape to achieve health in 2013.

Me eating healthier. Check.  Husband on board and agreeing to eat healthier, unprocessed foods.  Check.

Kiddos - Yeah.  Not quite a check there yet.

It's just going to be tricking the kiddos to eating healthier that I have to work on.  I started that plan today by making Zucchini Banana Muffins (recipe found on Pinterest on this blog) which I made without the glaze.  No offense, but the "glaze" in the pictures looks like ketchup and is so unappealing - but I altered the recipe a bit to make it a little more palatable for our taste.  So I turned the Zucchini Banana muffins into Zucchini Banana Applesauce muffins and they are yummy!  (Note:  I think they are but I can't taste anything really due to this darn cold!)

Without further adieu, I present the recipe of lies!

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1  teaspoon cinnamon(I added more since I like cinnamon!)

1 egg

2/3 cup of unsweetened applesauce (the original recipe called for butter but I didn't use any)

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4  cup of white sugar

1/3 cup milk – plus another splash as the mix was a little too dry after mixing

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups freshly grated zucchini

1/3 cup mashed banana (about 1 small banana)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and then get the muffin pan ready with either liners or non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine together flour, baking soda, salt,and cinnamon.  Mix well.

In a larger separate bowl, whisk the egg and brown sugar until smooth and until there are no lumps. Add in white sugar and continue to mix.  Add vanilla extract, applesauce and 1/3 cup milk. Add more later if you find the mix is too dry.  Whisk again until smooth and stir in the previously grated zucchini and mashed banana. Once combined, slowly add the dry ingredients a little at a time, folding the batter until just combined.  Divide batter into muffin cups.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

The finished muffin

Oh whoops, I forgot to put in the key ingredient.

THE LIE!

So, in the whole tricking the kiddos theme, my 4 year old daughter helped me bake these muffins.  I should note that she is a fairly picky eater and does not really enjoy trying new things. Or eating vegetables.  Or trying new foods.  Or - well, you get the idea. My 3 year old son is a bit more adventurous with trying foods and his overall taste for diverse foods.  So, when my daughter saw the green zucchini, she asked me what it was.

So, I sort of lied and called it a green banana.

Well, she totally bought it!  I was shocked.  This coming from a child who would shy away from parsley and green flecks in anything that was on her plate.

Then once the muffins were baked and cooled, she proceeded to eat it - green bits and flecks of zucchini and all.  (See image)

Am I proud that I lied?  No.  I mean, she saw with her own eyes that it was green - a color of food she normally is repulsed by.  Maybe because I quickly called it a green banana, it made it okay by her standards?  But for the sake of her long-term health and getting her to eat more green vegetables I guess I'd have to say it is a lie I'd tell over and over again.

And I just may.

While I consider myself an honest person, I'm kind of a huge fan of trying to sneak more veggies into foods that kids prefer to eat - such as chicken nuggets, cookies, muffins, chili's  soups and stews.  I really love Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious cookbook which I need to go back through and try more of the recipes again now that my kids are older.

Now tell me, do you struggle with the same "picky-ness" with your kids?  How do you or did you overcome it.  Did you ever tell lies to get your kids to eat new things?  I'd love to hear it?
~Carly

Eat To Live

Hello!

Well, as usual (lately anyways) this post is overdue.  I've had some changes happen over the past few months and I've been way off schedule. And sidetracked.  And distracted.

However, I've had a little more time to get back to doing a little more work now that my kiddos are both in preschool a few mornings a week.  It's not a lot of time, but I have been able to reclaim a little "me" time which has been very nice.

As you know from reading this blog (or if you're just joining me, welcome!) then you know that I'm somewhat of a diet hopper.  It's pretty safe to say that if dieting and I were family we'd be beyond dysfunctional.  This post is coming about three weeks into my latest "diet" craze on a lifestyle called Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Furhman.

Image courtesy of diseaseproof.com

Dr. Furhman has been featured in the documentary Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, on the Dr. Oz Show a few times and is highly respected in the medical community.  You may be thinking along the lines of Doctors writing books - aka Dr. Atkins of the Atkins Diet, Dr. Agaston of South Beach Diet, etc.  I thought along the same lines also - another Doctor with some miracle diet - blah blah.

Until I read the book.

It totally made sense.  In an easy to read and follow type of way.  The diet itself is another story.  It's NOT an easy diet to follow if you're not used to eating this way at all.  Especially when you have two small children who are somewhat picky and a husband who likely won't consider eating this way.

Luckily, I had already been drinking green smoothies and eating more of a vegetarian style diet for some time now after seeing a few documentaries, reading some articles and talking to some people.

Okay, back to the point...

According to Dr. Furhman and some other people recently - like Michael Pollen...this way of eating isn't or should not really be a short term thing.  Dr. Furhman  has said that weight and health have to go hand in hand.  They are very much intertwined.  This book promotes healing diseases such as diabetes (among other things) with the foods you eat.  This book promotes a vegan lifestyle for six weeks and in that six weeks you can lose up to 20 pounds or more.  There are non-vegan or vegetarian options you may follow but the results may vary.

I highly suggest reading the book, but in case you can't or just don't want to and would like the lowdown on the diet, here it is in a nutshell:

UNLIMITED (eat as much as you want):

• All raw vegetables, including raw carrots (goal: 1 lb. daily)
• Cooked green vegetables (goal 1 lb. daily)
• Beans, legumes, bean sprouts, or *tofu (minimum 1 cup daily in total of these)
• Fresh fruit (at least 4 daily).
• Eggplant, mushrooms, peppers, onions, tomato and other non-starchy vegetables, cooked and raw (unlimited) (Dr. Furhman calls these GBOMBS on a Dr. Oz show)

*Beans should be eaten daily; tofu should be eaten less frequently.

LIMITED (not more than one serving):

• Cooked starchy vegetables OR whole grains–Maximum 1 cup per day (butternut or acorn squash, corn, sweet potato, brown rice, cooked carrots, whole grain breads*, whole grain cereals*)
• Raw nuts and seeds (1 oz. or 28.5 grams a day) or 2 ounces avocado
• Ground flaxseed (1 tablespoon a day)
• Soymilk, low-sugar preferred–Maximum 1 cup a day (I've been using unsweetened Almond Milk)

*avoid breads and cereals as much as possible

OFF-LIMITS:

• Dairy products
• Animal products
• Snacks between meals
• Fruit juice or dried fruits
• Salt
• Sugar

Sound confusing or crazy to eat that many veggies and avoid all that other stuff?  Glorious bread, sugar, sweets, chicken, cheese?  Yes.  It is.

Image courtesy of myself

At first.  At some point in the book it is mentioned that it's recommended to eat that much veggies, but not necessary.  He does say the more greens and veggies you eat the more weight you will lose.  I think I maybe have eaten the full two pounds of veggies a few days out of the past few weeks.  But still, I've been eating a lot of vegetables.  A lot.

So, going on week 3 how am I doing.  You're dying to know, right?  

Well, after my escapades in weight loss this year - Weight Watchers, Cinch, etc...I was nearly back up to my original weight when I started dieting!  

Frustrating.  Annoying.  Insert expletive here.

I've been yo-yo dieting all year.  Since I've started this plan, as of 5 days ago I've lost 5.8 pounds!  Yes, I've been tracking what I eat still on MyFitnessPal.  And yes, I count cleaning as cardio these days :)  It's extra and it counts.

Is the weight loss miraculous?  No.  Do I feel really awesome and amazing? Yes.  I can't tell you how good I feel cutting out a lot of the Standard American Diet (SAD).  So, again, this was as of 5 days ago and I haven't weighed in since so it may be more at this point.  

Have I stuck to the plan exactly?  No, not as I would have liked to in a "perfect" world where there are no cheddar bunnies to tempt me or heavenly smelling chocolate chip cookies I baked for a cookie swap coming up.  So, yes I have "cheated" a bit on this plan - I had a sprinkle or two of some cheese on a few things and I did have a turkey burger (all natural) the other night.  I did in fact taste test the cookies to make sure they were tasty.  So by no means have I been perfect.  I even had some cake for my son's 3rd birthday this past weekend.  I passed on the pizza but just could not pass on having some cake :)  

Again, this diet Dr. Furhman promotes is all about healthy weight loss that can be sustained over time.  I have really enjoyed this diet so far and I plan to continue. 

Do you know anyone who follows this diet?

By the way, feel free to add me as a friend on MyFitnessPal - I'm duckycarly!

~Carly

Homemade Granola Bars

Morning!

I'm on day 3 of South Beach again and I feel great!

Obviously this recipe is not for me - it's for my kiddos who do enjoy a granola bar. Not everyday, but a few a week. They are quick and easy snacks to take along on our outings and to eat on the go. So, like most people I buy them at the store pre-made. I've tried both Cascadian Farms brand but my kids didn't like them as much as the Quaker ones.

So, considering my obsession with baking combined with my love of Pinterest - I came across this recipe from Savor The Thyme for either bake or no bake homemade 5 granola bars:

I only had some of the ingredients in the house - the key ones anyways.  However, you can make any combination of ingredients - almonds, dried fruits, nuts, flax, chia seeds - anything goes.

I made ours out of rolled oats, honey, peanut butter and some chocolate chips.

After one hour of being refrigerated and then cut to size

Cut to kid-sized portions on wax paper

Wrapping them and then storing them in tupperware

The long list of ingredients in  the chocolate chip Quaker  brand.

It was super easy and they taste really good. (yes I taste-tested!)

The kids couldn't even wait to try them before I could cut them up!  

If that's not success with a picky 4 year old eater and a 2.5 year old, I don't know what is :)

So after seeing that crazy long list of ingredients, making these is a no-brainer!

What do you make homemade versus store-bought?

~Carly

Back on the wagon

I hope this post is finding you well - and unharmed by my inability to stick to a choice of diet or exercise :)

I'm back on the South Beach/Low Carb lifestyle. I've had a lot of success in the past with it and I feel ready to do it again...again.

So, my breakfast today was eggs. Snacks were veggies and low fat ranch dip, a cheddar cheese stick and a lot of water! Dinner is baked salmon with sautéed spinach and garlic.

More updates on what I've been up to and some other changes I've been making!

Article: 50 Ways to Make Your Diet Work

Happy Friday!

Image from article 50 Ways To Make Your Diet Work

I came across this article and it's got some really great advice - complete article can be found here.

While there are a few things in here that are a bit silly and I would never do.  For example I'd never do suggestion 31 and I find that suggestion 35 isn't a problem for me with two kiddos!

I really love this quote from the article:

"...the word "diet" no longer refers to that thing you routinely cheat on with the trendy name. Those days are over. "Diet" refers to the ongoing, consistent delivery of essential nutrients in sufficient amounts for the sole purpose of fueling the body efficiently for muscle development, recovery, movement, and the production of heat for burning fat."

If you have time, I'd highly recommend reading it and skimming through or bookmarking it for later.

Have a great Friday!
~Carly

Chicken Salad Gone Fruity

Hello!

I am excited for Summer weather for quite a few reasons - the glorious sun, beaches, pools, parks and lazy Summer weekends.

I am also excited because naturally as the weather warms, I crave cooler & lighter foods.

So, I'm happy to share this recipe with you I made the other day which I call:


Chicken Salad Gone Fruity

I have no idea where I saw the original recipe, so no credit given but not saying I invented it! :)  Also, I know I've been eating a more vegetarian fare, but I do like some chicken every now and again.  Especially in the form of this recipe!

Before adding mayonnaise - colorful!

Ingredients
Chicken breast (I like to buy those pre-cooked chickens at my local store)
Celery stalks
Mayonnaise
Red Grapes (can substitute with fresh apples, craisins or pears)
Salt & Pepper to taste


Note:  This recipe is to taste so I left out quantities so you can alter it to your liking!


Directions
1.  Take any amount of leftover chicken breast and chop up into small pieces (or you may shred the chicken with a fork depending how you like your chicken salad)
2.  Get a larger mixing bowl and place chicken inside.
3.  Chop up any amount of celery you'd like depending on how much you like celery (or omit if not a fan) and toss in the bowl.
4.  Slice up grapes or your fruit of choice and add to bowl.
5.  Add salt and pepper if you desire
6.  Add mayonnaise to taste - I do not like it too much so I go light!
7.  Mix, mix, mix!

You can eat it with some crackers, over a bed of mixed greens or on your favorite bread - or just plain!

It's so fresh and tasty.

All mixed up and ready to eat.

Any favorite warm weather recipes?  Link up or feel free to comment!

~Carly

Motivation...got some?

Hope you are well on this lovely Memorial Day Monday!  Thank you to all those who serve and have served our country.

One thing I've been struggling with lately is motivation. How to find it, how to keep it going and how to keep it at the forefront of all that goes on in day to day life.

I'm sure we can all agree that a huge part of weight loss, exercise, eating right and lifestyle changes all stem from motivation.

Aside from the obvious reasons for losing my toddler weight - my motivation was to not only look better but also feel better, too. I had really wanted to lose 30 pounds before my 30th birthday last year. That didn't even come close to happening. You can read more about that here.  However, my new goal is revised.

I'd like to lose 20 pounds by my 31st birthday. I'm just around the full 10 pounds lost so far and I don't plan on stopping any time soon.

As motivation wanes and disappears, I surprisingly got a little dose of motivation that has pretty much been exactly what I needed and seems to have really hit home.

So, what is this magical motivation?

I apologize for the blurriness of the picture - but if you look past my swinging iPod headphone cord, you'll clearly see that it is a walker in front of the treadmill next to me.  And, on that treadmill next to me was a very old man - close to 85 years old at least - walking on the treadmill.

I thought in that very moment:


WOW.  If he can get on that treadmill and walk then I sure as HELL can walk, if not RUN.


I mean, seriously - what on earth is my excuse?

The answer is - I don't really have one.  Not one good excuse.  If he can leave his walker and get on that treadmill despite his reasons or medical condition - then I can get my more than healthy @ss on that treadmill and work out.

I know the picture doesn't really do the power of the situation justice - but I ran/walked for 29 minutes this day.  What's so great about that?  Well, this situation really gave me a boost and reality check I needed.

I continued to be active for the rest of the week, too.  I went on a run Saturday morning and was going to go to the gym this morning - but they closed early and baby sitting was not available today. BUT, that's not an excuse, so I'll take a run on the treadmill in our basement in a little bit - too hot here to run outside today!

When you lose your source of motivation, where do you find it?  What re-ignites your passion for fitness and health?

I'd love to know!
~Carly