what i ate wednesday: cupcake edition

Oh, so you want to know what I ate because it is Wednesday? A bunch of food I didn't take a picture of and this...
 

...chocolate-dream cupcake, which was so amazing it deserves not only this picture, but its own photo shoot.

weekend review: skinny bang bang shrimp

My Mom and Dad are obsessed with Bang Bang Shrimp from Bonefish Grill. I agree, they are delicious. But, I have two problems with this delicious dinner: they aren't the healthiest dinner you've ever had and, my biggest issue, I don't have a Bonefish where I live! So, this dinner creation - a healthy version of bang bang shrimp made in my own kitchen is just for you, Mom and Dad.

Figure 1. In the pan: bangin' good shrimp by Skinnytaste.

Figure 2. In the mixing bowl: Asian cabbage mango slaw (I used broccoli slaw) by Skinny taste.

Figure 3. Sunday night's dinner: skinny bang bang shrimp (I used Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for the sauce and they were great!), Asian cabbage mango slaw, and brown basmati rice. Of course, this isn't a perfect replacement for the real thing - but a pretty fantastic and healthy substitute that I will be making again.

It's my birthday.

It's my birthday. Let's eat cereal...er...cake.

what i ate wednesday: the binge

I wasn't going to post today. I'm embarrassed, people. 

But, the more I thought about it the more I realized that I needed to give my experience from yesterday a voice. A voice because I know that this happens to many of you and we don't talk about it. We feel ashamed, embarrassed, and out of control. I feel these things too, but balls to the wall here is 'What I ate Wednesday: the binge day'.

The day started normally enough, with a typical breakfast of cereal and fruit and a lunch of leftover healthy broccoli salad made with Greek yogurt.

I even managed to have a healthy and filling snack of Greek yogurt and a carefully measured tablespoon of peanut butter.

My day was stressful. Like tear your hair out stressful. In fact, right now my life is more stressful than it has ever been and I can't workout because I have a stress fracture in my heel from over-running and I am struggling with how to deal with it every.single.day. I am in panic mode. Some days, I am ok. But, yesterday I came home at five in the afternoon with an overwhelmed  feeling of not knowing what to do with myself and my severely anxious energy. So, I thought a glass of wine and a bowl of cereal would comfort me.

It didn't. It didn't because my emotions are so much deeper and so much stronger than a bowl of f*cking cereal. 

But, at the moment I didn't know that and I thought a second bowl would do the trick. Well, my friends - it turned into a massive sh*t show of granola + cereal + yogurt + peanut butter + cool whip and I can't even talk about the details. Like eating directly out of the container-style. Easter candy may have been involved. I'm not even kidding. You know, right? You've been there, right?

In the end, I felt nothing but gross and exhausted and passed out at 8 PM feeling not better, but worse. Much worse. Ashamed, guilty, worse.

Today, I have choices. But, I have decided to move on. I (god knows why) will publish this awkward and way-too-truthful post for the world to know my weakness (ok I know why because someone has to talk about it and it might as well be me). I could eat 0 calories and work out like a beast to compensate for my binge. But, no. I won't. 

I just ate my normal breakfast and will focus on hydration, fresh food, and treating my body with respect. Yesterday, I abused my body. Today, I need to be nice. Super duper nice. Nice in the form of water, and vegetables, fruit, and lean protein. Moderate exercise and sunshine. Finally, I need to spend time reflecting on the emotions behind the binge. It isn't food that is the problem (or solution) at all. It is something deeper, something larger. I need to explore this and more than anything I owe it to myself to move on. I am okay. If this speaks to you and you find yourself in this situation today or in the future - you are okay, too.

And this, my friends, is what I ate Tuesday, April 16.

for boston

Runners unite.

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weekend review: breaking out the grill

Figure 1. Out of the oven: cottage cheese, bacon, sharp cheddar, green onion, and egg casserole.This is a great quick and easy weekday dinner with ~320 calories and ~30 grams of protein per serving.

Figure 2. Thursday night's dinner: cottage cheese, bacon, sharp cheddar, green onion, and egg casserole and asparagus sauteed with smoked paprika.

Figure 3. Saturday morning baking: Amanda's blueberry banana breakfast muffins. I made mine with Truvia baking blend and frozen blueberries. Delicious!

Figure 4. Saturday night's dinner: maple-mustard chicken thighs, broccoli salad, and corn on the cob. This was our first grill meal of the season and these chicken thighs, more specifically this maple-mustard sauce, is one of our favorites. You really must...

Figure 5. Crispy salmon and spinach salad with carrot-ginger vinaigrette with toast and Earth Balance. This was my favorite meal of the weekend - I am pretty sure you could pour this sauce on anything and it would be delicious. You will see this meal again (and soon).

confessions of an imperfect perfectionist

Confession 1.

It is really (really) hard to make a stress fracture walking boot look fashionable.

Confession 2.

I haven't run in three solid weeks (see Confession 1) and this makes me very (very) crazy. Some days, I make productive and healthy choices. Some days, I do this instead...

what i ate wednesday: issue 76

 Figure 1. Breakfast: puffed wheat + All Bran + cocoa powder + banana + milk and coffee.

Figure 2. Morning treat: a coconut Kevita. Have you guys discovered this yet? It is 100% delicious and makes my tummy happy! Comment if you have tried other flavors, this is one of the few my local store offers (I don't have a Whole Foods in my area)...

Figure 3. Lunch: a green smoothie bowl (frozen banana, almond milk, spinach, cocoa powder, vanilla protein powder, xanthan gum) topped with Fiber One chocolate cereal and slivered almonds.

Figure 4. Dinner: two slices of Ezekiel sprouted grains toast topped with smashed avocado and kosher salt alongside roasted broccoli and ketchup.

Figure 5. Dessert: Stuft Fro-Yo (make this now if you want your life to be complete). Mine was 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with 8 grams of sugar free white chocolate pudding mix, 4 drops of liquid Stevia, and 1 tsp of vanilla combined with chocolate PB2 (2 T mixed with 2 T water) and 1/4 cup cool whip free. Mixed it all together and threw it in the freezer for an hour and topped with Fiber One chocolate cereal. Delicious, high in protein, and filling. Do it....

And that concludes another What I Ate Wednesday (featuring what I ate Tuesday, April 9).

weekend review: curry love

Figure 1. Friday night's dinner: 30-minute squash coconut curry and roasted broccoli. This curry is absolutely delicious and only 300 calories per serving. I may be in love...

Figure 2. Sunday afternoon baking and quite possibly the worst picture ever (although my nail color is rockin', isn't it?): baked oatmeal snack bars wrapped up for the week.

Figure 3. Sunday night's dinner: crispy pork medallions and broccoli and orzo on top of raw spinach. This pork is worth making!

my less serious momma: fiery chicken thighs with persian rice

Thighs are always a problem.

But not these Fiery Chicken Thighs with Persian Rice.

Perhaps my less serious momma’s most creative cooking venture lately. Nothing like cooking your rice with a tea towel!  Here’s some enticing photos. You can find the recipes courtesy of Cooking Light here.

So some night when you’re feeling adventurous, try this rice. Fabulouso!

Chicken thighs in marinade. Tricky part here is that you have to buy Sambal Oelek for the marinade. Thighs marinade for 20 minutes.

 Chicken thighs get broiled 8 minutes skin side up and 4 minutes flipped. Gorgeous!

But the rice is the exciting part!  Be sure to check out the detailed instructions. After you cook it for 10 minutes, drain and put in heavy skillet. Add oil and onion, cook 5 minutes then add spices and yogurt (1/2 c), mixing well. Then magic, tie a dry tea towel around the lid and cook for 30 minutes without peeking!  Then remove with a rubber spatula. Voila! 

 

Rice mixture in skillet, pre cooking.

 

 Rice with tea towel! Do it, do it, even if it feels strange!

 

Rice out of plan with beautiful brown crust!

So a slice of rice, a muffin, and a beautiful thigh! What more could one ask for!

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Looks delicious, mom!

Previous my less serious momma posts:

• red beet eggs
• easy rigatoni
• easy eggplant parmesan
• lemon dessert
• chicken corn soup

what i ate wednesday: issue 75

 Figure 1. Breakfast: my usual (un-pictured) cereal mix of puffed wheat + All Bran + cocoa powder + banana + milk, coffee, and this sparkling coconut water.

Figure 2. Morning snack: plain Greek yogurt, slivered almonds, and cinnamon.

Figure 3. Lunch: this frozen shepherd's pie on top of raw spinach. This is a new brand for me and it was really delicious and filing.

Figure 4. Dinner: steamed broccoli tossed in olive oil and coconut aminos, an Amy's Sonoma burger, a mix of leftover rice and couscous topped with peanuts, and a glass of wine.

Figure 5. Dessert: a bowl of Fiber One chocolate cereal and peanuts. Can you find my sweet little pup's nose in the background? :)

And that concludes another What I Ate Wednesday (featuring what I ate Tuesday, April 2).

weekend review: a non-traditional easter

Since I just spent a long week with my family, this year Easter was low-key and didn't involve a traditional large Easter dinner. Instead, I stayed home and made my boyfriend and I three of my all-time favorite meals. Hands down, if you haven't tried these yet, you must. No really, you must.

Figure 1. Thursday night's dinner: butternut squash mac and cheese with caramelized onions, bacon, and apple on top of steamed spinach.

Figure 2. On the stove: P.F. Chang's lettuce wrap filling.

Figure 3. Friday night's dinner: P.F. Chang's lettuce wraps. And yes, because we are fancy - my boyfriend and I usually sit down in front of the TV with the wrap filling, a head of romaine lettuce, and a ramekin of coconut aminos for dipping (he adds extra Sriracha and rice, too).

Figure 4. Sunday night's dinner: skinny tuna noodle casserole alongside 'on-the-fly' sauteed asparagus with smoked paprika and lemon.

Oh, and by the way. You will see these again because they are so delicious I just can't (and won't) stop.

weight lifting tips for beginners

Today, a little something different - a guest article with weight lifting tips by Bridget. As you all know, I am a HUGE proponent of weight lifting for building a healthy and strong body so I love these tips. Bridget is a real life freelance writer for culinaryschools.org. Thanks Bridget!

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How to Get Started with Weight Lifting

Weight lifting is one of the best ways to get in shape and to really change the look and health of your body. Many women are afraid of weight lifting because they think it will cause them to bulk up, but weight lifting is actually one of the best ways to slim down because it radically alters your metabolism and helps to burn fat faster.Many newbies are intimidated by weight lifting and are unsure of where to start. Here are a few tips for how to get started with weight lifting so you can start reaping the benefits of this exceptional exercise:

1. Learn How to Do the Exercises. The most important first step is to learn how to do the exercises. You can easily injure yourself if you have bad form when performing the exercises, so it is important to learn how to do them right. You can do this by signing up for a tour of your gym or by meeting with a personal trainer for one or two sessions. You can get a run through of each of the machines and information about how to do some basic exercises with the free weights. It is much easier to learn how to do the exercises when seeing them done in person, as opposed to watching a video or reading an article.

2. Always Warm Up. When you are ready to get started working out, remember to warm up. You may not think you need to warm up since you aren't doing cardio exercise, but it is just as important to warm up your muscles even when you are doing static exercises. You must warm up your muscles and get them feeling limber in order to avoid injury. If you don't warm up, you could pull a muscle or overwork a muscle that isn't ready for it, leading to serious and long-lasting injury.

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3. Start Light. There's no need to try to show off how much you can lift when you first get started. In fact, it is best to start out lifting less than you can when you first start. This will allow your muscles the time to get adjusted to your new exercise. You can then slowly add weight as your muscles become used to being trained and start to grow. Just don't add too much too soon, or else you risk injury.

4. Rotate Workouts. Every day, you should focus on a different muscle group or combination of muscle groups. Many people prefer to focus on back and shoulders on the same day, while devoting individual days to arms and legs. You can decide what works best for you. However, it is key to rotate your workouts so that you get the best workout per muscle group and so you end up working all your muscle groups.

 

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5. Keep a Log. A workout log can help you keep track of your progress. Not only will it help you to make sure you are rotating through all your muscle groups, but it can also help you to monitor your growth. You can see how much you are lifting in each workout and how many reps and sets you do so you can carefully add to the weight and the frequency as you grow stronger. This can help you to push your fitness goals without risking injury.

Weight lifting is a great way to burn fat and to get in shape quickly. Though weight lifting may seem intimidating at first, these tips can help you to get started and be well on your way to becoming a weight-lifting pro.

Do you lift weights? Share your tips for success for getting started in the comments!

About the Author:

Bridget Sandorford is a freelance writer and researcher for CulinarySchools.org, where recently she’s been researching health and nutrition for kids. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first cookbook.

what i ate wednesday: issue 74

 Figure 1. Breakfast AKA my bowl of slop: puffed wheat + All Bran + cocoa powder + banana + milk.

Figure 2. Morning snack: cottage cheese, applesauce, slivered almonds, and cinnamon.

Figure 3. Lunch: Amy's frozen vegetable korma on top of raw spinach.

Figure 4. Lunch dessert: a slim-fast snack bar, double-dutch chocolate. Judge away, if you want, but these are 100 calories of candy bar goodness that satisfy my ever-present and raging sweet tooth without too much caloric damage.

Figure 5. Dinner: baked chicken topped with leftover red pepper pesto, roasted eggplant, and leftover polenta.

 Figure 6. Dessert: 130 calorie chocolate peanut butter mug cake topped with whipped cream. Delicious!

And that concludes another What I Ate Wednesday (featuring what I ate Monday, March 26).