Honey Spiced Salmon

This turned out sooo good! I picked up a large piece of boneless salmon on sale. Hubby usually doesn't like fish but he deals with it, this he actually described as delicious!

Honey Spiced Salmon
1 lb salmon, raw
1/2 tsp ginger, ground
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 orange, peeled and pureed
2 tbsp honey
2 tsp sesame oil

Combine all ingredients in a ziplock storage bag. Squeeze out the air, seal and marinate 20 minutes, turning occasionally. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375. This is a good time to prep side dishes too, I made brown rice, sweet potato oven fries and sauted greens to go with. Just cook rice by package directions, it takes the same cooking time as the salmon. The sweet potato fries just cut into sticks or wedges, toss with olive oil or spray with nonstick spray and bake in a single layer on a cookie sheet at the same time as the salmon. The greens were fresh from my container garden, I washed and chopped them then tossed into a hot cast iron skillet
with a dash of canola oil for a couple minutes after removing everything else from the oven.

To cook the salmon, remove from marinade and discard leftover marinade. Wrap salmon in foil, place in a dish and bake at 375 for about 45 minutes. Yum!

This doesn't have a strong fishy flavor, it's slightly sweet, tender and has great flavor! Leftovers get more fishy but are okay for using in things like tuna casserole recipes.

Italian Turkey Stew

I made this for dinner a few days ago. Rich, hearty turkey stew with Italian herbs, served over spaghetti squash. Yum!

Italian Turkey Stew

1 lb ground lean turkey

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained

2 cups diced zucchini

1-2 cloves garlic, diced or pressed

1 small can tomato sauce or some leftover marinara

Italian seasoning or fresh herbs such as parsley and oregano, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a pot. Simmer over medium low until cooked through. I put it on low and just slow cooked it about 2 hours until dinner time, but it should work just as good to cook it higher until done through.

Spaghetti squash is easy to prepare to serve this over. I used a small one. Just wash it, place on a plate and microwave about 10 minutes. It will pop while being cooked. The shell is really hard, better to let it pop than try to stab a vent hole in it. Once it's cooked, cool enough to handle. Cut or pull it apart, scrape out the seed section in the middle and use forks to shred up the rest like spaghetti.

You could also serve it over pasta, rice, bread, in cooked tiny pumpkins or bread bowls, or just straight as a soup by adding a bit more water.

Stuffed Cabbage

These are soooo good! Easier to make than it seems. A little time consuming, but worth it!

Stuffed Cabbage

1 head cabbage (I used purple since it was on sale, I usually use green)

1 lb ground lean turkey

1 1/3 cup shredded cauliflower (I shredded with cheese grater)

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup parmesan
1/2 tsp worchestershire sauce

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp italian seasoning or herbs of your choice

1 can diced tomatoes

Boil a large pot of water, enough to cover cabbage.

Meanwhile, cut core from cabbage, discard core. Isn't it pretty in the middle there?

When water comes to a boil, use large tongs to put the cabbage into the water for 4-5 minutes. Move cabbage to a plate, peel off outer leaves that are cooked and softened. Set leaves aside and return cabbage to water for 4-5 more minutes. Repeat until all leaves large enough to work with are cooked.

Meanwhile, prepare filling. Combine turkey with cauliflower, onion, parmesan, worchestershire sauce, garlic, pepper and herbs.

When all the cabbage leaves are cooked, begin filling. Fill each cabbage leaf with turkey mixture, about 1/4 cup for the largest, most take less depending on size. Fold in sides, fold up stem end then roll top over like a burrito. Place seam side down in baking pan.

At this point you can put them away for later if you want. Just put foil over the top and into the fridge. I like to assemble them during morning nap time so I know there are no "little helpers" in the kitchen when I'm messing with boiling water. Or you can cook them right away.

When you're ready to cook, just top with tomatoes, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours.

I shred the stem and large coarse pieces of cauliflower to make this filling, and cook the nice florets as a side dish. Just pile them in a casserole dish, cover and bake alongside the stuffed cabbage. A little cheese or lemon on top makes them yummy!

These are in the fridge for now, I'll post pics of dinner after they're cooked :)

If you love stuffed cabbage but don't want all the hassle, this is easy to make into a casserole too! Just quarter and coarsely chop up the cabbage, then layer cabbage and filling into a casserole dish instead of making rolls. Top with tomatoes and bake. Yum! Not as visually appealing, but tastes just as good!

..and here's a picture of dinner ready to go!

Fresh fruit

Okay, we all know we should be eating more fresh fruit and veggies.

Here's a great way to get more servings and enjoy them as fruit, without having to try to work them into things and hide them!

I've found just cutting the fruit up into nice bite size pieces or finger food pieces makes it disappear. I often cut up whatever is ripe and fill a plate, then use that as a side dish. In this case it's 2 mangos, 4 kiwis and an orange we had with breakfast today. Almost any meal goes well with a fresh fruit plate! I often try to make the plate look pretty arranging it like a flower, but if I'm in a hurry I just pile it all on there - it's still just as easy to eat and just as delicious!

Try it - slice up an apple or whatever you have around, and see if you actually stop procrastinating and eat it!

Weightloss - ad awareness

Have you ever actually paid attention to commercials, billboards, signs, all the ads you see every day?

I have, and noticed a huge percentage are for things that are not good for you or your budget. Try it - while watching an average 30 minute TV program, note how many commercials you see for fast food, packaged foods that aren't healthy, weightloss scam products and treats. How many ads for those items do you see every day in the newspaper, magazines, coupons, sales ads, billboards, signs in the store, on your computer, packages for other foods or anywhere else? Our world is saturated with them, and odds are good that heavily advertised foods are things with a very high profit margin, meaning they're made of cheap, unhealthy ingredients like bleached flour, corn syrup, sugar and hydrogenated fat with little real nutritional value. How often do you see ads for plain bran, fresh celery, green beans or other inexpensive healthy foods? Almost never, because their profit margin is not high enough to afford to saturate the airwaves with ads. There are few exceptions, like almonds, orange juice and milk, where industry organizations promote the product when one producer can't.

Studies have shown that repeatedly seeing ads for particular products makes you more likely to buy that product, even if the individual ads don't make an impression. Just recognizing it increases the odds of buying it.

So what do you do? Ads are everywhere, and many are good ads that can save money and direct you to helpful products. The best advice is to be aware of what you're buying and what you're eating. Take note of what items you're frequently seeing ads for, and look at the ingredients and nutritional information for those items. If you know what's in it, you're far less likely to get something that's horrible for you, even if you have been blasted with ads for it. Try new items you don't recognize, look high and low on the shelves instead of in the middle where the most expensive brand name items tend to be, and try to stick to the outside edges in the store where the least processed items are. Less messed around with usually means more healthy! Support products that are healthy, and eventually we can make a difference in what we're exposed to :)

Conscious eating

One of the more helpful weightloss tips I've heard is being conscious of what and how you're eating.

Something I've tried that really seems to help is taking just 1 bite or small portion of foods you eat all the time and really experiencing it. Feel, closely look at, slowly taste and chew the item. Notice the smell, texture, mouth feel, taste and aftertaste. You might discover that something you frequently eat and thought you really liked isn't so good. I discovered I actually don't like most milk chocolate, like Hershey's chocolate. They just tasted flat, waxy and had a sour rancid breath aftertaste.

Try the same thing with whatever food you often crave. Most fast food, if you take some time with it, just tastes like lots of salt and half rancid grease. When you have that in mind, it's much less tempting!

You can use this technique to understand what it really is about that item that you want. Are you after something sweet, salty, savory, sour, crunchy, creamy, or just something you can pop in your mouth? Once you know what it is you find satisfying about that food, it's easier to find a healthy food option that fills the same niche, and you may find that you enjoy the healthy alternative even more when you truly experience the food instead of just chowing down.

Really experiencing your food also works to help find healthy options more appealing. I love to take a perfect ripe apple and really enjoy it. The crispness on the first bite, the almost creamy crisp texture of the interior and the sweet aftertaste are wonderful. Some of them are so sweet it's almost like honey. I actually crave many healthy foods now, knowing how good they really taste!

My Meal Plan

The most common question I get about my weightloss is "what do you eat?"

So here it is, plain & simple :) I just choose one option from each category, or something similar. I eat about 6 times daily, 3 meals and 3 snacks.

Breakfast:
1. fat free cottage cheese with a spoonful low sugar or sugar free preserves, or a handful fruit
2. scrambled egg with 1 slice cheese on toasted double fiber english muffin
3. Light & Fit yogurt with 1 piece fruit (an apple or something)
4. a 2- egg omelet with cheese and sauted veggies

Snack:
1. a piece of fresh fruit
2. a handful of almonds
3. Any fresh veggies
4. celery with natural peanut butter
5. a slice of cheese and Ak Mak or All Bran crackers
6. a reduced fat string cheese
7. a light yogurt
8. a sliced apple with natural peanut butter or a slice of cheese
9. fresh cut fruit with yogurt to dip it in
10. fresh cut veggies with yogurt or hummus to dip
11. sunflower seeds
12. pumpkin seeds

Lunch:
1. a large salad of romaine or leaf lettuce (not iceburg! it's nutritionally worthless), with about 1/4 cup protein like a handful nuts, leftover cooked chicken or other meat, a slice of cheese or a string cheese. Any veggie toppers I feel like, maybe some oranges, and a little light dressing or salad spritzer, or salsa for a taco salad
2. veggie soup, just broth with any combo of veggies and maybe a can of tomatoes. Add cheese & crackers for some protein
3. Dinner leftovers
4. a small whole wheat pita stuffed with grilled chicken and veggies, with light mayo or fat free sour cream

another snack

Dinner:
I cook dinner, and try to make planned leftovers so I have some side dishes ready to go that I can just reheat. Some common menus I make (next time I make them I'll share pics & recipes, or sooner by request):
1. fish tacos with beans and sauted greens or zucchini
2. turkey tacos (same sides)
3. grilled or broiled chicken sandwich, fresh fruit and cooked veggies
4. burger on whole wheat english muffin, baked fries or sweet potato fries, or baked sweet potato and veggies
5. simple chili or soup and many variations, with biscuits or toast and fresh fruit
6. baked chicken tenders, veggies and fresh fruit
7. stir-fry over brown rice with oranges
8. stuffed cabbage rolls, broccoli and fruit
9. sauted turkey smoked sausage & peppers, brown rice, fruit
10. grilled sausage or chicken, veggies and fruit
11. low carb "hot dogs" of smoked sausage on romaine "buns" with baked fries and fruit
12. baked packets of cod, mushrooms & asian seasonings on brown rice, broccoli and fruit

Dessert/after dinner snack:
any of the day snacks, or
1. sugar free pudding made with fat free milk, sometimes with peanut butter or fat free cool whip
2. sugar free jello with cool whip free
3. apple, cored and filled with raisins then baked until tender
4. frozen green grapes

I try to buy lots of produce, fresh fruit and veggies, whatever is on sale. We end up eating a lot of broccoli, cabbage, zucchini or mexican squash, oranges, apples, berries, peaches, nectarines, melon, grapes, onions, greens, lettuce - tons of others, but those I always seem to have around!

I don't usually measure portions very accurately, but I do keep an eye on meat and fat and try to limit them. I try to get healthy fat sources like avocado, almonds and canola oil. Other than that, I just try to eat lots of fresh fruit & veggies, enough lean meat, and a few servings of whole grain. That seems to be the basis of every diet on the market, no gimmicks just common knowledge that really works!

Of course diet alone isn't enough and you'd need to do some kind of exercise, and check with your doctor and all that we all know already! I'm breastfeeding too so that speeds up the weightloss a bit, it lets me have a bit more calories daily than someone who isn't. I take a multivitamin when I remember too, just to cover any bases I missed :)

Weightloss Tip of the Day - grocery list

The easy weightloss tip today is make a grocery list!

If you have a list, you're less likely to forget a vital ingredient for a meal you have planned, and resort to a convenience food that's not diet friendly instead. You're also less likely to fill the cart with chips and junk you really don't need in the house when it's not on the list.

That means a lower grocery bill from less impulse buys, and a kitchen better stocked with the healthy foods you need. Double win :)

Weightloss Tip

Today's weightloss tip is planned leftovers!


It's easy to add some extra meat and veggies when you're cooking anyway, then use them to make a meal the next day.

I like to cook extra chicken breasts or tenders when the oven is on for something else. Then I can use the cooked chicken to top my lunch salad the next day, add to veggie soup, make sandwiches, chicken salad or bunches of other quick meals.

Having those extra prepared ingredients ready to go can be the difference between having a healthy planned meal and a desperation that really shouldn't be on the menu. Very little extra work, saving on energy cost when you're cooking anyway and helping make future meals less work, a good idea all around!

Weightloss Tip of the Day

Ever stopped and actually read the ingredients in that rice side dish you always buy? What exactly IS all that stuff that's 2 lines long and you'd need some kind of degree to decipher? No clue?

If you don't know what it is, you probably shouldn't be eating it. Try buying a big bag of plain brown rice. It's by the bags of plain dried beans, or some stores offer it in bulk bins. Easy to cook, even though it takes a while longer than instant or white rice. You can divide it into meal size portions and freeze it, I fill sandwich size storage containers and freeze those. Stacks well so it doesn't take up too much space in the freezer, thin means it thaws quickly, and it holds about the right amount for 1 small family dinner.

To make a great economical and healthy side dish, just toss it with a little oil and vinegar, parmesan and fresh herbs, or chopped tomato and cilantro. About 1000 times tastier than the Mystery Box, better for you and better for your wallet!

Weightloss tip of the day

My weightloss tip of the day today is protein.

It's important not only to get plenty of protein, but to get good quality protein items. Lean chicken, turkey and fish are good options, but can be expensive. Stock up when they're on sale and freeze them. Nuts, beans and whole grains are also good sources.

I try to have a good protein source at each meal or snack, to help keep me satisfied longer. I have cottage cheese or eggs with breakfast, cheese, nuts or peanut butter at snack, leftover cooked meat or cheese with lunch, meat with dinner. I try to limit cheese to once or twice daily, since it's expensive and high in fat, but a small serving is nutritious and worth it!

On the Menu tonight

Tonight's dinner is going to be spaghetti with turkey meatballs and brussel sprouts. Leftovers actually, but still delicious, healthy and budget friendly! I'll put my approximate cost in parentheses to help calculate the total cost.

Broiled Turkey Meatballs
1 lb ground lean turkey ($2)
1 egg, beaten ($0.08)
2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs (about 1 1/2 slices, $0.02)
1 tsp pepper (under $0.01)
1/2 tsp salt (under $0.01)
1/4 tsp garlic powder (under $0.01)
1 tsp italian seasoning (under $0.01)
1 tbsp dried parsley (under $0.01)
2 tsp worcestershire sauce ($0.02)
2 tbsp parmesan cheese ($0.02)
1/4 small onion, very finely minced ($0.03)

Total cost per recipe - about $2.20, makes 5 servings. $0.44 per serving of 4 meatballs.

To make meatballs, combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and well combined. Shape into 1 tbsp balls, a cookie scoop is very handy for this! Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick spray and broil about 20 minutes until cooked through.



I used Ronzoni Smart Taste Spaghetti, $0.75 with sale and coupon for 7 2-oz servings, $0.11 per serving. A jar of organic marinara on sale for $2, 6 servings of 1/2 cup at $0.33 each. And a bag of frozen brussel sprouts, 6 servings for $1.50 is $.025 each.

That's a total of $1.13 per serving for a healthy, homemade and very satisfying dinner! Enjoy!

Eating healthy on a budget

I often hear the comment that people can't eat healthy because it's just too expensive. I'm here to tell you it can be done! We feed a family of 4 for less than I spent on groceries for 2 eating unhealthy foods. Here's a dozen great ideas anyone can try!

1. Check the price per serving, not just the price per pound. A pound of boneless, skinless chicken makes more servings than a pound with parts you won't eat. Remember you're paying the price per pound for the bones, skin and trimmings too! Minimize waste and get the most for your money by using bones and scraps to make stock, just cover in water and simmer.

2. Buy flexible staple items that keep in bulk. Dry beans, rice, barley, lentils and many similar items will keep indefinitely in the pantry. Whole wheat flour and brown rice can be refridgerated or frozen.

3. Buy lean, inexpensive cuts of meat when it's on sale and freeze several extras. Good bets are ground lean turkey under $3/lb, split chicken breasts under $1/lb, boneless skinless chicken breasts under $1.50/lb, and Hillshire Farm turkey smoked sausage loop under $3.50. All can be used for a variety of meals, freeze well, are easy to prepare and great for leftovers.

4. Shop at farmer's markets, ethnic grocery stores, mom & pop shops, swap meets or wherever you can find inexpensive produce. I've found produce at local ethnic grocery stores is usually around half the price of the main grocery's sale prices. Sometimes less!

5. Grow your own! If you have a pot of soil and a sunny spot, you can grow mustard greens and radishes quickly and easily year round, indoors, or outdoors when it's warm. You can grow lots of veggies and small fruits in pots, in a dedicated garden area, or work them into your landscaping. A $2 packet of seed can easily produce a large amount of food. Especially with easy to grow herbs like parsley, chives and cilantro the savings over buying fresh at the grocery store are substantial.

6. Know your prices! If you can't remember it all, make yourself a cheat sheet in a notebook you take to the store with you. Write down items you commonly buy, followed by what it costs and at which store. You'll soon recognize what's a good price and when to wait.

7. Use coupons! But be reasonable. A lot of coupons are for items that are insanely overpriced to start with, and even after combining a coupon and sale the generic is still cheaper. Use online resources like couponmom.com, coupons.com, smart source, red plum and manufacturer websites to find coupons and deals. Coupon Mom will teach you how to combine sales and coupons to get great deals! Once you know how that works it's easy to apply to other stores. Trim corners on things that are easy to get great deals on like toothpaste for under $1 at CVS, and then use the savings to get more groceries.

8. Know your seasons. Fall and back to school time is great to get cereal, granola bars and packaged snacks. Everyone has them on sale then, and every newspaper insert is loaded with coupons. Stock up! Winter is canned goods, turkey, ham and frozen meats. Spring is "diet" foods, but watch to make sure they're not heavily advertising an artificially inflated price on things like frozen dinners. Late spring and summer are produce, and lots of it! A good time to learn to can, freeze, dehydrate and cook with as much fresh produce as you can handle. Early fall is winter squash, apple and cabbage.

9. Make inexpensive side dishes. A pot of beans with spices and a bit of onion makes a good side dish for Mexican meals. Brown rice, bulgur, barley and almost any other grain can be cooked plainly and seasoned to taste with herbs, spices or lemon. Sauted zucchini is great for Mexican, Italian or Chinese. Potatoes cut into wedges, sprinkled with spices and baked like fries are dirt cheap. A sliced fresh apple or pear makes a nice, simple and refreshing side. Cauliflower "mashed potatoes", braised cabbage and raw veggies are all very easy. Compare the cost of any of those to one of those packaged instant side-in-a-box mixes and you save a lot of cash - and prevent eating a ton of junk!

10. WATER! Don't buy soda. Just don't. No diet, no generic, no flavored water. There's nothing in there that's good for you, and several things we know for a fact are bad for you. It's bad for your health, bad for your weight, bad for the environment and bad for your wallet! If you really want some for special occasions that's fine, but it shouldn't be part of every day.

11. Ditch the junk food. Replace name brand snacks with homemade alternatives. Instead of tortilla chips, cut your own whole wheat tortillas into chips, spray with nonstick spray and bake until crisp. Replace candy with frozen grapes, fruit, or at least smaller portions. Instead of salty snacks try cauliflower poppers, veggie sticks or Ak Mak crackers.

12. Check nutrition labels. If you don't understand half the ingredients, you probably don't need it. When considering fresh items, if they're the same price choose the healthier option. When buying lettuce choose leaf or romaine, iceburg has almost no nutritional value. When buying fruit choose more colorful varities. Always choose fresher items when you can, fresh is the best, then frozen, and last canned since canning destroys many nutrients and adds salt.

Dinner tonight

So, we're back on a healthy diet.
Tonight's dinner is a good one! I'm making a simple baked Asian Style Cod, with brown rice and broccoli. Super easy!

The recipe:
1 lb cod fillets (about 4)
1 sliced green onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 1-inch segment ginger, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
4 tsp sesame oil
4 tsp soy sauce

Make squares of foil. In the middle of each square place a piece of fish. Top with a couple bits of green onion, 1/4 cup mushrooms, a garlic clove, a bit of ginger and a teaspoon each of sesame oil and soy sauce. Fold the foil shut to make a little packet. Place the packets in a baking dish and bake them at 350 or 400 about 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Open foil, pour over cooked brown rice, noodles or a salad and enjoy!