A DELICIOUS SUMMER BEVERAGE – hold the alcohol please!

A week ago yesterday I decided that I’d try to see how long I could go without drinking alcohol. I knew it was important to have a goal date to work towards, so I chose my best friends wedding on May 17th. Did I think I could go three weeks without alcohol? I knew it was possible, but it’d be very challenging. What really motivated me to go for it was when I asked Blaine if he thought I could do it and he said “No.” Well, that was just fuel for the fire – motivation.

I’m one week in and I have had three challenging opportunities to drink, yet I chose not to (no I’m not pregnant). For me, it’s when I’m out to dinner, brunch, or even relaxing at home watching sports that I’ll want to have a glass of wine or a hard cider. So I’ve made it one week and I only have two more to go.

Another reason why I chose to go without alcohol for a three-week time period is because I wanted to see how it affected my body – physically and mentally. I believe that if you can stick to something for a week, it can become a habit.  I guess we will find out within the next two weeks how things will go. The down side to this experiment is that when I do go to drink at this wedding, my tolerance won’t quite be where I’d like it to be.

Sunday, May 4th was a beautiful day and Sundays in Minnesota paired with sunshine usually equal Sunday fun day and Sunday fun day usually equals lost of alcohol. Being I am abstaining from alcohol, this means no delicious mimosa, mouth water bloody Mary, or even my favorite refreshing glass of Sauvignon blanc. Ugh – why am I doing this!? Oh yeah, that’s right – because it’s easy to give in and it feels better to say no thank you! It’s not that I’ll never be able to indulge in a Sunday fun day again, but here’s the thing – I know there will be plenty of opportunities this summer for drowning in some heavenly summer cocktails and glasses… Or bottles of wine. For now, I just want to prove to myself it’s okay to say I choose not to.

“I CHOOSE NOT TOO” – try it verses “I CAN’T” because honestly, it’s not that I CAN’T have a glass of wine, it’s because I’m choosing not to – for the time being.  If I CHOSE to grab for that un open bottle of wine and indulge in a glass as I lay in bed writing this, I’d still wake up tomorrow alive.  “I’M CHOOSING NOT TO.”

So yesterday on my way home from a fabulous morning with friends at the MPLS Farmers Market and brunch to follow, I hadn’t had a drop of alcohol and was itching for a refreshing summer drink, what with the sunshine pouring down that day and all. I decided to stop at the grocery store and grab some fresh and low-calorie ingredients to mix up something to Moc what I was craving, but of course without the alcohol. This concoction essentially turned into a virgin raspberry lemonade mojito.

I challenge you to try this recipe out and see if you could go with out alcohol in your cup every time!

INGREDIENTS

(will vary depending on your fruit choice)

• Lime wedges
• Lemon wedges
• Crystal light – raspberry lemonade or whichever flavor sounds yummy to you
• Fresh raspberries or fruit of your choice
• Fresh mint
• Soda water – I used raspberry flavored

DIRECTIONS

1. Wash your fresh fruit
2. Slice your lemons and limes
3. fill a glass of your choice with ice, top with your fresh fruit and mint, cover with your flavored soda water and a packet of your water flavoring.
4. Mix together and simply enjoy

TWO SISTERS MAKING TACOS

For those of you who do not know me, it’s important before reading this blog that you know I have a little sister who is a year and a half younger than I am.  Her name is Ashley Rae Crapser, AKA – Hashley Rae or Hash Brown.  She is a very important part of my life and we have shared many hair-pulling, temper tantrum, agree-to-disagree moments together as well as many joy-filled memories up at the lake, on Christmas morning, and on the same campus at St. Catherine’s University where we both completed our college degrees.

It may look like sometimes I’m an “okay” cook, but my sister also has a few culinary skills  herself.  The real skill Ashley has is in baking.  Her baking has been so popular with our friend’s and family she’s even gone as far as making cupcakes for her best friends wedding; red velvet cheesecake cupcakes to be exact.

The reason why I am emphasizing my little sister in this blog post is because recently we have been sharing one to two evenings throughout the week together when she stays over at my apartment so she can have a shorter commute to her new “big girl” job as a Registered Nurse at a Pediatric Clinic in the Twin Cities.  I love having my sister stay the night and it gives me an opportunity to try out new and creative recipes that maybe my boyfriend Blaine isn’t entirely crazy about trying out.

If you’re not living in Minnesota, you’re not missing out on the weather we just experienced yesterday and throughout the late night.  Due to this treacherous winter storm, my sister stayed the night at my apartment to make her commute a little less crazy.  Instead of me cooking and coming up the recipe and buying the ingredients, my little sister offered to step in and make dinner for Blaine and I.  Of course, I insisted on being the photographer and settled for being the Sou Chef for the evening. (Most people who know me, know it’s hard for me not to be the one mostly in charge of a situation, but I’m working on it!).

Ashley came across a recipe for sriracha salmon tacos with a honey slaw.  While in the process of her organizing this dinner, Ashley experienced her first trip to Whole Foods.  Later that evening, while we were cooking up a storm she told me: “When I walked into Whole Foods, it smelt like Grandma.”  She is referring to my Grandma Beverley who is a big supporter of organic foods and holistic health.  I agreed with Ashley because the one time I have been to Whole Foods, I thought the same thing.  (Love you Grandma!)

Alright, alright, I’ll stop being so sentimental and get to the recipe.  This recipe was originally taken from peasandcrayons.com. Of course I had to go and make it healthier and ask Ashley to pick up some fresh, organic romaine lettuce to use as a tortilla versus wasting my carbohydrates on refined white tortillas.  Yes, I could go with whole wheat tortillas, but I’d STILL rather save my calories for the protein part of the meal or even dessert!

Here’ it is, what you’ve all been waiting for!  Wait, you’re not a fish fan?  Well, you can use whatever protein you’d like for this recipe; that’s the beauty of cooking, you don’t have to be exact with your measurements or follow the recipe 100%, but baking, now that’s a science.  Ashley will be the first to tell you it’s not an easy getting your cupcakes to rise to the same height or trying to prevent them from sinking.

SEARED SALMON TACOS, HONEY SLAW, & SRIRACHA RANCH SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• Fresh salmon – we used 3 filets
• 1 avocado
• Whole romaine lettuce leaves
• Olive oil
• 1 Lime
• Crumbled feta cheese, optional
• Paprika
• Red pepper flakes
• Garlic or onion powder
• salt and pepper
• Whichever spices you’d like

SLAW

• 1 + Cups cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced thin
• Honey, to taste – we used probably 2 tbsp
• Cilantro, to taste
• Lime juice, to taste
• Garlic power, or whatever spices you’d like
• Salt, to taste

SAUCE

• 3 tbsp (LIGHT) ranch dressing
• 1 tbsp sriracha chili sauce

DIRECTIONS

First preheat oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit for when it comes time to bake your salmon.

Combine all ingredients for slaw, mix, and place in refrigerator until served

Once the slaw is finished, go a head and mix your sriracha ranch sauce together

Next, heat a large skillet to medium and rub the fresh salmon with olive oil and the spice blend of your choice.  I like to spray a little water in the pan to tell if it is warm enough.  If the water sizzles, then you know the pan is hot enough to start searing your salmon.  (While the salmon fillets are searing, line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non stick cooking spray.  Sear each side of the fillet for 2 minutes.  The middle will look pink when you are finished searing them.  Place the salmon fillets on the baking sheet and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.

While the salmon is baking, we took this opportunity to slice up avocado and wash the romaine lettuce leaves.  Of course we still had some tortillas, mostly for Blaine, but Ashley is still adjusting to switching over to the low carb side.

Okay, so I haven’t convinced you to come over to the low carb side either yet?  Well, maybe this will –

1 Tortilla – 110 + calories

1 Romaine lettuce leaf – 5 calories

Think if you just subbed lettuce for your tortilla every other taco like my sister Ashley, you’d save over 100 calories each time!  All I ask is that you just think about it.

Alright, well we aren’t quite finished with the tacos yet.

Once the salmon is finished, split the fillets into sections to fit into the lettuce leaves or tortillas (I guess).  Top the salmon tacos with slaw, avocado slices, sriracha ranch sauce, crumbled feta cheese and lime juice to taste.

My sister and I had a great time making these tacos and Blaine even enjoyed them with tortillas!  I hope that you can start to challenge yourself with trying new, and healthier recipes.  You can replace almost any form of bread/tortilla with a lettuce wrap and it still tastes delicious.

I can guarantee that I will have many more recipes that come from nights my Ashley and I will spend together, maybe I will even throw in a cupcake recipe and see how I can make those healthier.

Ashley and I this summer at her best friend’s wedding.

DID YOU EAT BREAKFAST THIS MORNING?

I’m sure you’ve heard over and over… and over again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but why don’t we all apply this? Is it because we’re too busy? Do we think cutting out breakfast will save us calories? Or are we just simply not hungry in the morning? The Huffington Post states that 31 million Americans skip breakfast daily.

Let’s say you do eat breakfast.   Have you now set yourself up for a successful, fuel-filled  day?  Maybe not.  The thing is, you can’t just eat something before lunch and call it breakfast.  Why not you ask?  I know the sequence of eating, yes: breakfast, lunch and dinner. What I’m trying to get at here is have you ever actually thought about the importance of what TIME you eat breakfast?  I know, you’re probably saying to yourself, “Yeah right, I barely have time to brush my teeth in the morning.”  Making an effort to eat within an hour of waking up.  Livestrong.com claims: “You are much more likely to over eat later in the day if you don’t have something within the first hours of daily activity.”  Therefore, just because it’s the first thing you eat during the day, doesn’t make it breakfast, let alone a “Nutritious” breakfast.

You may also be saying to yourself, “I’ve never eaten breakfast, so why should I start now?”  Even if you are healthy, active, and of “Normal” weight, eating breakfast daily can set you up for long-term healthy benefits.

BENEFITS OF EATING BREAKFAST

• Increased energy throughout the day
• Lower cholesterol levels
• Improved performance, concentration, and energy throughout daily activities
• Decreased hunger throughout the day
• A more well-balanced diet, including increased vitamins and minerals
• Associated with having a healthy weight or improved weight loss results

I can’t imagine that any of these benefits you would prefer not to have.  What I hope you get out of this blog post is an inspiration to attempt to eat breakfast, or a more nutritious breakfast than you typically do.  By no means do I suggest running to Perkins tomorrow for the tremendous twelve.

My next point is exactly the opposite of the Tremendous Twelve: just because you are eating “breakfast,” even within an hour or waking, doesn’t mean you are making the best choice, or will lose weight from “Eating breakfast.” For instance Calorie King claims that a Perkins Tremendous Twelve has 1500 calories in one order.  For many people, this is most or all of their calories allotted for the day.  So what do you do now?  Just not eat the rest of the day?  Well, not that’s not realistic.  A great option would be to choose something lower in calories and well-balanced with carbohydrates, protein, and even some healthy fats (i.e. peanut butter).  For example, choosing the Perkins Spinach and Baby Bella omelette is less than half the calories of the TT at 540 calories.  Now, if you ask for no bread, you save yourself more carbohydrates and calories!  Don’t get me wrong, I splurge every once and awhile on a delicious Perkins breakfast.  All I’m trying to say is enjoy these hefty breakfasts in moderation and chose wisely on your daily breakfast choices so that you CAN splurge every once and awhile.

What do I eat for breakfast then you ask?  I’ve been trying to really focus on my breakfast choices lately and make sure there is plenty of protein involved.  What I had for breakfast this morning was blueberry oatmeal and one over easy egg.  That’s not much protein you say?  Well, I make sure my oatmeal is homemade vs from a package.  I add my own vanilla protein powered to increase the protein within my breakfast, as well as add some flavor to the oatmeal.  I also add Splenda and SUGARFREE maple syrup to sweeten my oatmeal up.  Lastly, I top my oatmeal off with 1/4 cup blueberries and cinnamon.  This is something I eat nearly every morning, until I’m ready for something new.  Then I might go for a slice of lower calorie whole wheat peanut butter toast with a few scrambled eggs.

The common trend between my two examples of breakfast are that they are both pairing macronutrients and food groups: protein(meat) and carbohydrates(fruit and grains). (Macronutrients = carbohydrates, protein, fat).  By pairing your food groups, you can prevent spikes in your blood sugars.  Also, eating more protein within your meals will help you feel more full throughout the course of the day versus eating foods high in carbohydrates.  This is because our bodies main source of fuel is carbohydrates, therefore we burn through those carbohydrates quicker, leaving us hungrier sooner.

WORDS OF WISDOM:

1. Eat breakfast within an hour of waking up.
2. Incorporate more protein throughout your day, especially at breakfast!
3. Pair your food groups – i.e. grains(carbs) with protein, fruits(carbs) with protein to make you feel more full throughout the day.
4. Splurge every once in a while.  It’s important not to deprive yourself!

If you are looking for suggestions for what YOU can eat for breakfast that is quick and easy, let me know and I’d be glad do give you suggestions!

SOURCES USED:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/many-benefits-breakfast

http://www.jhsph.edu/offices-and-services/student-affairs/_documents/Breakfast

LET’S GO BOATING, SPAGHETTI SQUASH BOATING

MORE MOC PASTA! I know my last blog was on zucchini pasta, but what can I say, I love me some noodles.  What I have here is a spaghetti squash lasagna boat.  I had never tried spaghetti squash before, but had recommended the vegetable as a pasta substitute for many of my clients.  After seeing quite a few recipes online utilizing spaghetti squash, I thought I should try it.

Every Monday night my sister stays over because she is currently commuting quite a ways for her new full-time job as a Registered Nurse at a Pediatric Clinic.  You should also know I live with my boyfriend Blaine currently and although he is a sweet guy and eats almost everything I prepare, he isn’t always as open to all of the recipes I test out.  Knowing this, I like to utilize the nights my sister is around to try out new and healthy recipes.  This past Monday I decided to try out spaghetti squash lasagna boats.  No I didn’t leave Blaine to fend for himself, I cooked him his own whole wheat pasta.  Let’s just say he’s a very lucky guy.

Alright, so let’s get these boats started.

You will need:

• 1 large spaghetti squash
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 cans diced tomatoes, purred
• 16 oz package of reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• Fresh basil
• Mrs. Dash, or seasoning of your choice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil

1. First preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. cut your spaghetti squash in half and clean out the seeds.  Once  your spaghetti squash is cleaned out, lightly coat the spaghetti squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place flat down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes.
3. While the spaghetti squash is baking, brown the ground turkey in a pan.
4. Cut your fresh basil into ribbons by placing the leaves of basil flat on top of one another then rolling the leaves up.  (See picture)
5. Once the turkey is fully cooked, combine the two cans of diced tomatoes and some of the basil ribbons with the turkey.
6. 
7. After the spaghetti has baked for 30-40 minutes and is tender, take out of the oven and scrape the sides of the spaghetti squash to release the spaghetti like strands.  take out half of the squash from each spaghetti squash bowl and set aside.  
8. Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Let’s start layering – on top of a layer of spaghetti squash spoon a layer of the turkey/tomato mixture followed by a layer of mozzarella.  I usually sprinkle Mrs. Dash and salt and pepper on top of the cheese layer.  Spoon some of the extra spaghetti squash that was set aside onto of the first lasagna layer.  This should fill the lasagna boat.
10. Top the lasagna boat with basil ribbons.
11. Last, but not least bake the spaghetti squash lasagna boats for 20 more minutes.

After a few bites of this lasagna boats, I literally told my sister “I think I could live without pasta.”  This pasta substitute is amazing and can save you so many calories!

Try this yummy recipe out and let me know what you think!

FOR ALL YOU CARB LOVING, PASTA JUNKIES….

I come from a spaghetti-once-a-week-for-dinner family. My dad even goes to the extent to can his own famous spaghetti sauce and of course his is the best. Although I love me some whole wheat pasta, I also know that I tend to load my plate with more than enough and maybe you do the same. So instead, I thought I’d attempt to try and find something “health-ier” than pasta. which can provide a lot of carbohydrates. Don’t get me wrong, whole wheat pasta has great benefits for your health, such as lowering your blood pressure.  Here is a great article from today.com about whole grain pasta!

Being inspired by my weight loss clients and trying to find something that you could substitute for pasta to reduce the carbohydrates on your plate, I decided to whip out my mandolin slicer I got for Christmas and slice zucchini into pasta like consistency.  From here I sautéed the zucchini pasta with olive oil and Mrs. Dash. (Be careful not to over cook the zucchini).

Super simple and low calorie. We all love the word low calorie!

If you thought I was finished with making spaghetti “health-ier,” you were wrong. Although I’m a huge fan of my dad’s spaghetti sauce, I also have tried to find a “health-ier” spaghetti sauce. I do this by taking canned diced tomatoes and puree them in a food processor to make my own marinara sauce.  I like to use the flavored diced tomatoes and then of course add some (salt-free) Mrs. Dash.

How are canned diced tomatoes “health-ier” than regular spaghetti sauce you ask?

• Lower in carbohydrates
• Lower in sugars
• Lower in calories

Aha. I have one more trick up my sleeve: lean (97/3) ground turkey vs ground hamburger (80/20). The use of turkey vs beef is on the rise due to the encouragement of heart healthy diets here in the United States to help reduce diseases such as heart disease, the number one killer in the U.S.

You may think I’m “anti-beef” due to my recommendation of using poultry over beef, not a chance.  I actually worked for the MN Beef Council at the MN State Fair three years in a row.  Beef is perfectly safe to eat and has several health benefits, such as being high in iron.  What I’m simply suggesting is that substituting your ground beef for ground turkey every once in a while can make a big difference, fat and calorie wise.

After making three simple changes to your traditional spaghetti, Vwala, you have just turned a potentially 670 calorie dinner into a delicious 305 calorie nutritious meal.

• 1 cup cooked spaghetti – 220 calories, 43 carbs
• 1/2 cup regular spaghetti sauce – 70 calories, 10 carbs
• 5 oz ground hamburger (80/20) – 380 calories, 0 carbs
• TOTAL – 670 calories, 53 carbs (212 calories from carbs)

• 1 cup cooked zucchini – 30 calories, 7 carbs
• 1/2 cup puréed diced tomatoes (hunts) – 35 calories, 7 carbs
• 6 oz lean ground turkey (93/7) – 240 calories, 0 carbs
• TOTAL – 305 calories, 14 carbs (56 calories from carbs)

Putting things into perspective, when coming from a once-a-week spaghetti family these calories can quickly add up.
Let’s do some math:

Difference of 365 calories between the two recipes

365 calories x 52 weeks (1 year) = 18,980 calories = 5.5 lbs you could lose in one year from eating the modified recipe and this is only making one small change once a week, with only one meal. Think of the possibilities if you made several small changes within your diet.

I hope that this recipe was inspirational and helpful.  If you ever have any questions about your own recipes let me know and I’d love to help you modify them!

“Health-IER” Appetizers

My boyfriend and I decided  to stay in for this Super Bowl and prepare our own appetizers.  Wait, let me rephrase that sentence.  My boyfriend and I decided to stay in for the Super Bowl and this looks like him sitting on the couch and myself slaving away in the kitchen.  Now I should mention that I really don’t mind this gender role, but just as long as he “helps” clean up.

On the menu for our health-IER Super Bowl Sunday appetizers include:

*SIDE NOTE: I am not super big on recipes.  I mostly just throw stuff together or use a recipe for a base and make things up as I go.

1. ROASTED CAULIFLOWER BUFFALO BITES

• Head of cauliflower
• Franks hot sauce
• 2 tbsp butter
• Reduced fat mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup skim milk

Modified from – http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/12/cauliflower-buffalo-wings/

2. CRAB AND TURKEY STUFFED MUSHROOMS

• Ready to eat crab or 97/3 lean ground turkey
• Whichever seasonings you’d like to use – I like to use Mrs. Dash (Garlic and Herb)
• Reduced fat shredded mozzarella
• Diced green peppers
• Baby portabella mushrooms

3. TURKEY MEATBALLS

• Target Market Pantry lean turkey meatballs
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• Low carb BBQ sauce – sometimes hard to find.

Now please do not be the consumer that is fooled by the word “healthy.”  A huge misconception is how foods are advertised and labeled.  Just because something is a vegetable, fruit, lean meat, reduced fat, or fat-free does not mean it is zero calories.  I encourage you to be an informed consumer and do your research and consider your portion sizes even when eating a “health-IER” option.

Example: Cauliflower Buffalo Bites

Although I am not using the traditional chicken wings or thighs that are higher in fat and have skin, the cauliflower is still tossed in flour and cheese and yes, there is butter in this recipe.

Mind you – cheese is a great source of dairy and high in protein, but generally even more high in fat than protein

If you have any questions on how different foods compare nutritionally, I’d love to give you feedback!