Week 16 - Sweet Simplicity

Last week was a long week, not just because of the Boston Marathon bombings and the days that followed, but because it was school vacation week and my baby girl was teething.  The boy is back in school this week, but baby girl continues to be very needy (hopefully its only teething and not another ear infection) and my husband is working long hours.  I'm looking for simple meals to get me through this week. 

My fitness routine has changed slightly - I've began to include the following strength workouts to compliments any other kickboxing or running/walking I'm able to fit in with my children.  I've been finding all of these workouts at Peanut Butter Fingers...awesome routines on her blog!!!
 
 - This one will work your whole body:
http://www.pbfingers.com/2012/12/29/weekend-circuit-workout/
 
 - Another great full body workout with cardio mixed in:
http://www.pbfingers.com/2012/09/29/saturday-morning-circuit-workout/

 - This one includes cardio and strength that targets your abs:
 http://www.pbfingers.com/2013/02/06/sweat-it-out-cardio-and-abs-circuit-workout/

- And this final routine is for your arms only.  I add it on to the end of a cardio session (after I run/walk, bike, or at the end of the cardio routine listed in the next section of this post):
 http://www.ivillage.com/how-tone-your-arms-0/4-b-489324?cid=pin|workout|tonearms|11-06-12

I always warm up before and stretch after.  And I'm still exercising every day, fitting it in anyway I can (taking baby girl for a walk/run in the stroller, exercising with the kids, taking them to the tennis courts and chasing tennis balls around...anything to get to 30-40 minutes a day).   And here's a quick 10 minute cardio routine that you can do while you are having a dance party with the kids:
http://www.pbfingers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/photo.png

Back to week 16 meals:  You'll find my weekly meal plan below along with any links that inspired me.  Remember that you can substitute any vegetables for ones that you love, but always have vegetables be at least half your plate at lunch and dinner.  You'll feel more full for very few calories.  Have a fantastic week!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

 Week 16: April 21, 2013

Sunday: date night

Monday: store- bought ravioli (on sale at my local grocery store) tossed with a little olive oil, garlic, sauteed mushrooms and spinach.  Served with roasted asparagus.

Tuesday:  skinny white chicken enchiladas with sauteed greens
http://skinnymom.com/2012/05/11/skinny-sour-cream-enchiladas/?_szp=160707

Wednesday: crockpot BBQ ribs, skinny dill potato salad, roasted broccoli  (all original recipes that I will post)

Thursday: leftovers

Friday: pizza night

Saturday: roasted chicken, couscous, salad (chickens are on sale AGAIN, so why not take advantage?)  http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/03/garlic-and-citrus-roasted-chicken.html

Boston Strong

It has been a rough week here in Boston. The kind of week that makes you hold your family closer, makes you anxious every time you hear a siren, makes you cry with the families who have experienced terrible loss, and celebrate all the good witnessed as the tragedy unfolded.

Monday was a holiday in the state of Massachusetts - Patriots Day. A day that celebrates our forefathers and the freedoms they fought for in the revolutionary war. A weekend that celebrates, commemorates, and reenacts the opening battle in Lexington and Concord. It was also a day that thousands planned on celebrating the completion of a milestone in their lives - running the Boston marathon.

For those of you who haven't ever been or aren't familiar with the Boston Marathon scene, it is a HUGE event for people of all ages. It is more than just a marathon, it is a Bostonian social event.  The marathon bombing not only injured, maimed, and killed athletes and their families, it effected those spectators in the surrounding area there to celebrate the day and an entire city watching.

These days that have followed have been just as tough.  More bomb scares, false arrest reports, and then today - waking up to complete chaos.  Boston is a ghost town.  We've been asked to be on "alert" and stay in our homes.  Some areas are being evacuated and thoroughly searched as police are pursuing the remaining suspect.  More lives lost, more injured, and the fear remains.

Obviously, food and what I'm cooking for dinner tonight doesn't matter this week.  Safety of our friends and family matters.  Talking to my family on the phone, hearing their voices, and knowing that we are alright for now, that matters.  Cuddling with my children and telling my husband how much I love him matters. 

Please keep Boston in your thoughts and prayers.  Please hold your loved ones close and call those you haven't talked to in a while.  Life is short and unpredictable.  Live in the moment and love deeply.

Stay strong Boston!
Sarah

Week 15 - keep on keepin' on

This week I'm just going to keep on doing what I've been doing - eating healthy (mostly) and working out daily.  My focus has always been on a healthy lifestyle for me and my family.  Losing weight was just a side-effect of my lifestyle changes.  Now I'm going to start changing up my fitness routines again, adding more strength training with cardio.  My personal fitness goal for the next 12 weeks is to work on defining my muscles more.  I'll keep you posted on some new workouts I'm going to put into practice.

My meal plan this week is going to focus on some lower-fat comfort food classics that I've already blogged about.  I'll post this weeks plan and links to the recipes.  If I make any changes to my recipes I will post the revised version.  Otherwise, I'll be blogging about my life and fitness a little more than usual.  Have a great week!

Happy Cooking,
Sarah

Week 15: April 14, 2013

Sunday- leftovers

Monday - pan seared salmon, sauteed spinach, whole wheat couscous, sliced tomatoes
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/pan-seared-salmon.html

Tuesday - date night

Wednesday- turkey meatballs with whole grain angel hair, light caesar salad, and roasted broccoli
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/turkey-meatballs.html

Thursday- oven baked tacos, tomato & avocado salad, sauteed greens
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/02/baked-tacos.html

Friday - pizza night

Saturday-  leftovers

Easy Oven-Baked Chicken Fajitas

The name says it all!  These were easy, healthy, and delicious!  No seasoning packets, just fresh ingredients and the oven does all the work.  Less than 15 minutes prep and you are ready to go!   The chicken was so good, even the baby girl was gobbling it up. 

I served the chicken fajita filling with brown rice, black beans, homemade guacamole and roasted brussel sprouts.  (To make a quick homemade guacamole, just mix two ripe hass avocados with the juice of 1/2 lime and salt to taste - super easy and really yummy!) You can make fajitas in a whole grain tortilla, or build fajita bowls with beans and rice like my husband and I did.  My toddler had a chicken "Taco" (no peppers and onions for him) with a giant bowl of brown rice and beans - his favorite!  I bought a can of cuban style black beans, all ready to go - check the ingredient list and make sure your can has nothing you can't pronounce.  You will LOVE this recipe!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Easy Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas
Sarah's original recipe inspired by http://realmomkitchen.com/9318/oven-baked-chicken-fajitas/ 
1.5 lbs or about 2 large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 red pepper, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 onion, sliced (or enough to make the amount of peppers and onions about the same)
2 T olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
assorted toppings such as salsa, reduced-fat shredded cheese, lettuce, reduced-fat sour cream, guacamole
whole grain tortillas or rice & beans for serving


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Place the cut up chicken in the pan and sprinkle all the seasonings on top. 

Toss the chicken together with the seasonings.  (I hate touching raw meat, especially raw chicken, so I use disposable medical gloves - the kinds you can get at any pharmacy.  Now I can touch the meat and then throw the gloves away.)  Set aside.

Slice the peppers and onions and place in the pan.  Toss with the chicken until well combined.

Try to cut up equal amounts of pepper and onion.

Ready to go in the oven!

Bake the chicken fajita filling for 30-40 minutes or until cooked through, stirring every 10-15 minutes.  The cooking time will vary slightly, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

Serve immediately!  Yummy!!!

Serve with your favorite vegetable on the side, tonight it was brussel sprouts.

And if you would prefer to have a fajita bowl over a wrap, then layer the brown rice, black beans, and chicken mixture.  Top with your favorite toppings (cheese, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, etc) and serve!  Enjoy!!!

Pierogies with Sautéed Onions and Kale

It's Thursday and I'm FINALLY posting the recipe from Monday night...it's just been that kind of week my friends.  My husband has been working many evenings and it makes for some LONG days.  So enough complaining!  These pierogies were so yummy, a healthier version of a childhood favorite of mine.  And the addition of polish kielbasa for some added protein - besides, how can you eat pierogies without kielbasa?  At least my Polish family never did.  The kale was a perfect addition to round this meal out.  I baked the pierogies (first time I've ever tried that) instead of pan frying in butter as my grandmother always did.  It was no fuss and they reminded me of toasted ravioli.  And my heart thanks me too!  So if you want a different twist on a polish favorite, give this recipe a try.

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Pierogies with Sauteed Onions and Kale
1 pkg of your favorite pierogies (I used Mrs T's potato and 4 cheese, found in the freezer section - because that's what my grandmother always bought if she didn't make them homemade)
2 T olive oil for baking, plus 2 T olive oil for sauteing
1 large onion, sliced
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt to taste
8 oz frozen chopped kale
1 pkg of your favorite polish kielbasa (I used a Nitrate free variety I found at whole foods - yummy!)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Using 2 T of olive oil, brush both sides of the pierogies and bake for 20 minutes.  Turn them half way through the cooking so that each side gets brown and crispy.

They look beautiful when they come out and are really tasty as is!  I would make these as an appetizer and serve them with a dipping sauce - just like a toasted ravioli.  But for dinner tonight, the sauteed onions and kale are delicious!  So continue on...

In a large frying pan over medium heat, place the kielbasa in the pan with 1 T of olive oil and brown on both sides (about 8 minutes). 

This is the kind of nitrate free all natural kielbasa I found and it was soooooo yummy!

You can hear the sizzle as it hits the pan!

Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. 

Beautifully charred on the outside and so yummy!

In the same pan, heat the last 1 T of olive oil over medium heat.  Saute the onions until golden brown and tender.  Add the garlic and allow it to sweat for about 30 seconds. 

Add the frozen kale and cook until heated through and kale is tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt to taste. 

Serve the sauteed onions and kale with the toasted pierogies and seared kielbasa.  So good!  Enjoy!

Loving life, right where you are

I had a personal goal today of writing a post about my delicious dinner last night. Instead, as I type this out with my thumb on my iPhone, my baby girl is asleep on my left arm. She's peaceful and snoring, and since she's fighting a double ear infection, I am happy to oblige. I would do just about anything to help her sleep right now. Does it mean that the dishes have to stay dirty in the sink a while longer? Yes. The toys won't be picked up? The laundry remain on the basement floor waiting to be washed? Yes and yes. But I'm meeting life where it is TODAY. And every day looks different. Nothing stays the same for very long and soon this baby girl will be too big to sleep in my arms. So that recipe post will have to wait another day. I have snuggling to do.

Happy living,
Sarah

Week 14 - It's a lifestyle

Eating healthy and exercise is not part of a diet I am on - it is a lifestyle I live, one that I continue to improve upon each day.  Just like many of you, I do my best to survive the crazy, hectic life that we lead as a family with two kids under 4 and the pressures we put on ourselves.  Some days I can barely find time to shower.  But I love to eat; cooking & fitness are passions of mine.  So cooking healthy food for my family is a priority for me, not just because I want to feed my kids healthy food, but because I love to cook it.  It's something that I get pleasure from...now if only the dishes could do themselves.

My lifestyle has made great strides so far this year (as I wrote about last week).  This week I'm working on using up things I've had in my freezer for a while, combined with things on sale in my grocery store.  There may not be many recipes to share this week, but I will do my best to share some other things that have been on my mind.  Have a great week!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Week 14: April 7, 2013

Sunday - leftovers

Monday-  grilled turkey kielbasa, pierogies with onions and kale, green salad

Tuesday - book club dinner

Wednesday - roasted chicken, sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts

Thursday- oven chicken fajitas, rice & beans, green salad
 http://realmomkitchen.com/9318/oven-baked-chicken-fajitas/

Friday - pizza night

Saturday - leftovers

Lentil Soup with Ham and Kale

Soup is one of the most basic and easy things to make.  I don't understand why people purchase soup in cans.  If you've never tried to make your own soup, please give it a chance.  It's so much healthier for you, no preservatives, additives, or other ingredients you cannot pronounce.  You'll feel great about eating it and feeding it to your family.  And it's great for feeding a crowd!

I make this soup at least once a year, every time we have a ham bone leftover from a big ham dinner.  I'm not a fan of split pea soup, but we love lentils!  And lentil soup with ham is so versatile.  You can add so many veggies to it and it is the perfect one pot meal.  Plus, preparing it in the crockpot means you come home to a yummy meal all ready for you.  This version has kale, but any green will work.  I've also added red peppers when they are on sale, but you can add anything you have in your fridge or anything you really want your kids to eat.  Soups and stews are the perfect way to get your kids to eat more veggies.  The entire family love this soup - the baby even gobbled it down.  The toddler takes leftovers to school and I feel great feeding my family a meal full of healthy ingredients.  Plus it makes an enormous amount, so you'll have some to eat throughout the week and you can freeze it for a quick fix in the future.  So yummy!  I know your going to love it!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Lentil Soup with Ham and Kale
original recipe posted at http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2011/06/slow-cooker-wednesdays.html
1 ham bone, trimmed of excess fat
1 cup of chopped ham, no fat, meat only 
1 large onion, chopped (I used a red onion because that's what I had on hand)
4 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 16 oz bag of green lentils (I've used brown lentils also, so any will do)
2 bay leaves
1 32 oz box of chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups of water
8 oz of frozen greens (I used Kale, but spinach would work well too)
salt & pepper to taste

Place the vegetables on the bottom of your crockpot.  Place the ham bone on top.

Then add the chopped ham, lentils, stock, water and bay leaves.  At this time, add pepper only (about 1/4 tsp).  Ham can make the soup salty enough, so don't add any additional salt until soup it done and you can taste it for flavor. 

Cook on high for 5 hours, stirring occasionally if you choose.  (I tried cooking this on low, but after 4 hours, I wasn't please with the progress of the lentils.  I truly believe the high heat helps to cook them down).  At this point you can remove the ham bone and the bay leaves. 

Ham bone is gone!  Looks good just like that, but we aren't done yet!

Add the frozen kale (or greens) and continue to cook on high for 30-60 minutes, or until soup thickens and greens are cooked through. 

After adding the frozen kale.

At this point, taste the soup to see if it needs more salt or pepper.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

As you can see, it thickens up quite a bit.  If you don't like it so thick, you can add more stock or water to thin it out.

Yummy!  Definitely a meal in itself, but you can serve it with a salad or sandwiches - whatever your families likes.

Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Monday nights are always meatless in our house.  Many times I do some sort of seafood, but I have done quite a few vegetarian dishes as well.  I got this idea from a Food Network Magazine and thought, "Perfect!".  We love spinach, mushrooms and Italian!  And I have fond memories of stuffed shells from my childhood.  These were yummy!!! 

I definitely adapted the recipe to make it my own and enlisted my toddler to help me make dinner.  It's his new favorite thing since he stopped taking his nap after school.  He wants to cook, bake, or "help" me around the house.  So not only it this recipe delicious, it's fun to make with your kids.  My husband isn't a fan of ricotta cheese, or lots of it.  So I decided to make this a little less cheesy of a filling, more vegetables, and I used cottage cheese to boost the protein factor.  I have heard that most people's concern with using cottage cheese is that they are afraid it won't be as creamy as ricotta.  All you need to do is use a blender or food processor (as I did in this recipe) and you will have the same texture, no problem.  It's also a great way to incorporate other flavors into the filling and avoiding extra chopping.  I hope you give these a try!

Happy Cooking!
Sarah

Spinach and Mushrooms Stuffed Shells
An original recipe inspired by:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/mushroom-spinach-stuffed-shells-recipe/index.html 
20-24 jumbo shells, cooked, drained, and rinsed  (I made the entire box because my kids LOVE to eat the big shells plain)
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
12 ounces of sliced mushrooms (I just used button mushrooms but whatever is on sale will do)
1 10 oz pkg of frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 jar of your favorite jarred marinara (or 3-4 cups of homemade)
1 cup low-fat small curd cottage cheese (I used 4%)
1/4 cup of fresh basil leaves
1 large egg
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
3/4 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, plus 1/2 cup for top of shells

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  While the pasta is cooking, start making the filling.  In a food processor or blender (I used my mini-processor) puree the cottage cheese until smooth.  Add the fresh basil and egg and process until well incorporated.  Set aside.

Heat 2 T of olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. 

The veggies

My 3 year old stirring the onions.

Add the mushrooms and 1/4 tsp of salt, stir to combine.  Cook mushrooms until soft, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.  Finally, add the spinach and stir until heated through.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow it to cool completely. 

Mushrooms are done!

Add the spinach and stir until heated through and extra moisture has evaporated.

Once the vegetables have cooled, add the cottage cheese and herb mixture, along with the parmesan and 3/4 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Mix until well combined.  Season with salt & pepper to taste.

In a 9x13 inch pan, pour 1/3 of the jar of sauce evenly over the bottom of the pan.  Stuff the shells with about 1/4-1/3 cup of filling each.  (I used 20 shells, but you may find you use a little more or less depending on how full you make them).  Pour the rest of the sauce evenly over the top.

They already look so good!

Ready for the oven.

Bake the shells for 30 minutes covered in aluminum foil.  After those 30 minutes, take the aluminum foil off and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly.  Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve immediately!  We had a big ceasar salad with this and it was awesome!  Enjoy!!!

Ready for the cheese after 60 minutes in the oven.

And ready to eat!

Yummy!!!

My New Favorite At-Home Circuit Workout

I get bored with my workout routine if I do the same thing everyday, and frankly, so do our muscles.  It is actually better for you to change things up, do different routines and shock your muscles.  Here is a great circuit workout that combines cardio, arm, leg, and ab exercises.  Warm up by marching or slowly jogging in place for 2-3 minutes to loosen up your muscles.  Do three rounds of the exercises listed, 30 sec water break in between rounds.  End the routine with 5 minutes of stretching.

As always, please consult a physician before beginning a new exercise routine.  Take breaks as you need and listen to your body.  This is not a race, and in fact, it is better for you to do the weight bearing exercises at a slower pace (rule of thumb on weight lifting: 2 or 3 counts up, 2 or 3 counts down).  If you have knee or joint problems, adjust the workout as needed to make it low-impact.  Contact me if you need or want more information on this.  Now go get moving!

Happy Fitness!
Sarah

The Full-Body At-Home Circuit Workout
50 jumping jacks
20 bicep curls
20 jump squats
40 mountain climbers
20 tricep extensions (10 on each arm)
30 crunches on an exercise ball
30 high knees
10 overhead presses
20 walking lunges with weights (10 on each side)
20 plank jacks
10 lateral raises
30 bicycle crunches
10 burpees
30 second water break, then repeat TWO more times.

Don't forget to stretch at the end of 3 rounds!!!