Thursday, January 26, 2012

Delicious Nutritious Breakfast

I am usually really bad at eating breakfast. I shared a while back that I've been eating Cinch shakes most mornings with a piece of fruit to start my day off. Well I needed more options and this has quickly become a favorite around my house. There are three simple ingredients; quick oats, honey, and berries. Any kind of berries you like will work, I have this frozen blend from Sam's Club.

So basically just make the oats according to directions, add 1-2 Tbsp honey and about a half cup berries. In just a couple minutes you have a delicious and nutritious breakfast that is about 300 calories, has 7 grams of protein, and 8.5 grams of fiber!

This is his 'smile for the camera' smile, but he really loves this for breakfast.

Yum Yum!






Watch Out Martha



Friday, January 20, 2012

Inspired: 2x4 Snowmen

This week has been a little weird. My husband's car is having problems so we've been without one most of this week and been stuck in the house. You'd think that would lead to getting a lot done, but somehow each day just flies by and nothing seems to get accomplished. I did get one craft done thanks to our craft club.

We came across this cute project idea from Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous. Here's how my 2x4 snowmen turned out...



Here's hoping for a much more productive week next week.

Friday, January 13, 2012

2012 Goals Update: Losing Weight and Eating Healthy

I'm happy to report that I've been staying on track so far and have lost 3 pounds! It has actually been pretty challenging because as I mentioned before, I have to take it slow to maintain my milk supply and continue breastfeeding my son. I have to make sure I'm eating enough, yet working out too. It's a fine balance.

So what exactly am I doing? Well I start my day with a good breakfast. Most days that means a Cinch shake and a piece of fruit. Cinch gives me 24 grams of protein to start my day with lots of energy to keep up with my 2 little boys. If I get the chance I'll exercise before breakfast, if not usually just before lunch I can sneak it in.

For exercise I have been running and doing yoga. I have some knee problems so I only run a couple times a week. It's been about 2-3. I run a mile in the best time I can without hurting my body. It's not super impressive but 12 minutes has been my best time.

I just added yoga to the routine this week and I love it! I found tons of FREE yoga videos on Hulu. I was super excited when I realized I didn't have to fork over tons to go to a class. Plus there are tons of different types you can choose from (toning, flexibilty, abs, AM wake up, etc) and different lengths. So this morning I did the AM Wake up video that was only 12 minutes long. Both my boys were already up so I knew I couldn't do a long one and I had trouble falling back to sleep last night after my youngest got up. Felt so good to start my day this way!
And then there's the eating healthy part. I haven't been perfect on this but really trying to get better and better. This week I tried a new dish I found on Pinterest, Broccoli Quinoa casserole. I'm new to quinoa, but I like the fact that it is a complete protein and can substitute for rice. I really liked this casserole, it was nice and creamy. The only thing I did different from the recipe is I made my own cream of mushroom soup. 

yum yum


One 10 oz can condensed Cream of Broccoli soup (or mushroom)
1/3 cup reduced fat mayonnaise (original called for 1 full cup. WOW.)
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded cheese (cheddar, colby-jack, etc)
1/2 teaspoon Splenda/sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
.
2 cups cooked broccoli

1 1/2 cups  COOKED quinoa (see note)
Feshly grated Parmesan cheese
.
To cook quinoa:

3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
.
Rinse quinoa in a fine sieve until water runs clear.  In a small saucepan combine the quinoa, water, and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Cook for 18-20 minutes, or until fluffy and the white ring/tail is visible.  Fluff with a fork.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a shallow (8×8 in or 5-6 cups) casserole dish – or individual ramekins – with vegetable cooking spray.
In a large bowl combine the soup, mayonnaise, milk, shredded cheese, Splenda, pepper, and nutmeg until well mixed. Stir in the quinoa and broccoli.
Spoon mixture into prepared casserole.  Sprinkle on a couple tablespoons of Parmesan and bake for 35-40 minutes (20-25 minutes for ramekins) or until bubbly on the edges and golden.


Happy Friday the 13th!

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