Wholesome

Sometimes I have a problem with balance.  I tend to be either gung-ho or apathetic about most things in my life.  Lately I have been struggling a lot with balance in my eating.  This week I am counteracting that with greater mindfulness.  I am not going to say I am banned from eating XYZ, but I don't want to eat junk just because I am exhausted and miserable and I don't have a healthy, tasty option on hand.

Roasted turnips

Yesterday I did a massive grocery shop and spent some time cooking a bunch of wholesome, tasty foods to eat over the course of the week.  Among the tasty choices are roasted turnips, a version of my cranberry raisin goo without raisins and with kumquats, oat groats, beef stock and stew beef for soup, beef and bean enchiladas, and a whole heap of broccoli.

Cranberry kumquat goodness

It was very comforting to know that I had oat groats with cranberry goo, roasted turnips, broccoli, a small salad with Greek dressing, and a peanut butter sandwich packed to eat today, and I have enchiladas waiting to go in the over when I get home from work.

I am taking a brief break from counting Weight Watchers PointsPlus, and instead I am going to spend the next week being satisfied and mindful.

Wish me luck.

Ham and Broccoli Casserole

Last night I needed a lazy Sunday dinner to go with my lazy Sunday.  This recipe is fast, filling, and Stephen approved (except for the broccoli).

Combine in a casserole dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray:

• 6 oz. ham with visible fat removed, cut into small cubes
• 1 can cheddar cheese concentrated soup
• 1 c. precooked rice
• 2 c. cooked broccoli (somewhat under-done so it doesn't get grey in the oven)
• Garlic, onion, cayenne, and any other spices you like to taste

Top with 2 oz. cheese.  I used a mix of cheddar and habanero pepper jack.  

Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and the casserole is bubbly. 

This recipes makes four generous servings.  Stephen went back for seconds.  Dinner success!

There are 8 PointsPlus per serving.

I served with adult beverages.
Land Shark Lager for Stephen
and Woodchuck Winter for me.

Delicious Goo

Cranberries and raisins in the pot

Every year my mom makes delicious cranberry raisin tarts.  They are a very necessary part of my family's Thanksgiving and Christmas tradition, but there is a limit to how many times a year I need to eat tarts.

When I want a cranberry raisin fix at other times of the year this is how I get it.  I call it cranberry raisin goo.  Appetizing, no?

Mmmm, delicious goo

Put one bag of fresh cranberries and about 1/2 cup of raisins in a small sauce pan on medium low heat.  Add Splenda and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, whatever you like) to taste.  Cook until the cranberies have popped and the raisins have somewhat rehydrated.  Remove from heat and eat warm or cold.

Here is my mom's recipe.

Mix 2 cups cranberries, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup sugar , 1 1/2 Tbs flour, 1/2 cup orange juice, pinch of cinnamon (to taste,) a sprinkle of salt (1/8 tsp?) and a little bit of finely grated orange peel (maybe 1/2 to 1 tsp? (eyeball it) in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring regularly, until the cranberries start to pop (5 minutes?) then remove from heat and stir in 1 TBS butter.  Taste and adjust spices if needed. Let cool while you form your tart shells, then fill the shells and bake @ 425 until the the piecrust is done (maybe 20 minutes?).  Fill tart shells with cranberry mixture.

My version has about 3 PointsPlus per serving, if you calculate the cranberries as 0 because they are a fresh fruit.  I won't calculate my mom's version.

Black Bean, Feta, and Rice Salad

I had leftover brown rice and black beans.  I mixed them and added a couple tablespoons of feta cheese, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

About 1/2 the amount I made should be about 4 PointsPlus.

Yum!

Roast Chicken Soup

I love eating.  I love cooking.  I love creating wholesome, flavorful foods for nightly dinners and decadent treats on special occasions, but cooking doesn't have to be a production.  This roast chicken soup recipe is a perfect low investment, high reward meal.

Start with a pre-roasted whole chicken from the supermarket. I usually eat it for dinner one night, and then put the leftovers into the fridge until I'm ready to make soup.  With only two of us, one chicken is plenty for a chicken meal plus a few soup meals.

You can also start with a raw chicken, but I like the roastiness of the pre-cooked ones.

This photo was taken after our first meal
As you can see, there is still plenty of meat
to make great soup.

Submerge the chicken in water in the crock pot.  
Season to taste.  I used onion, garlic, bay leaves,
pepper flakes and Penzey's Mural of
Flavor and Forward.

Cook in the crock pot until the meat is falling off the bones.  I cooked it overnight on low.  You don't need a crock pot for this recipe, but it adds to the convenience.  If you don't have a crock pot, simmer the chicken on the stove.
When the chicken is falling apart, remove it from the stock and strain the stock.  Straining the stock makes sure that you don't have anything in the broth that you don't want in the soup (such as bits of bone).

This is what my chicken looked like
after cooking overnight.

If you are making the soup ahead of when
you're planning on eating it, you can
chill the broth and skim the fat.

This is what the chicken looked like
after it was removed from the pot.

Chicken after it was deboned and shredded

Debone the chicken and add the meat to the de-fatted broth.  Bring the chicken and broth to a simmer on the stove.

From here on the variations are limited only by your tastes and imagination. Tonight I made plain chicken and noodles and a Mexican-inspired chicken noodle soup.

Plain chicken and noodles

For regular chicken noodle soup, add chopped vegetables if desired (such as carrots, celery, onion, or any others you like).  Simmer until veggies start to soften and then add noodles.  I use egg noodles or home-made noodles.

I added tomatoes, black beans, and rice
to my Mexican-style chicken soup.

For Mexican-inspired chicken soup, add a can of tomatoes, cayenne powder (or a milder pepper if you prefer), garlic, onion, rice, and whatever else you like (corn, canned black beans, summer squash, etc).



These soups are healthy and delicious.  I prepare everything to my tastes, so adjust my suggestions to your preference.

My total time investment was probably under 40 minutes.  Not bad for about five meals.

Bon appetit!

I'm estimating that each soup will yield about four servings and each serving of either kind of soup will be about 4 PointsPlus.

Back on Track

Nom nom nom

I am a lapsed Weight Watcher.  I was eating healthy and exercising like a maniac until early November when I got The Fever That Wouldn't Go Away.  During TFTWGA I kept losing weight because I felt too sick to eat, but I also felt too sick to exercise or really do much at all.  Now I'm feeling a little better.  I don't know if I still have the fever.  I haven't taken my temperature in a few days.  Last I checked it was still there, but I can ignore it in its current state.

I am ready for my clothes and tall boots to fit better.  I am ready to have the energy and strength that comes with regular exercise.  I love myself the way I am, and losing weight will not make me a better person, just a fitter one.

Lucky for me I enjoy healthy eating and exercising... I just enjoy birthday cake and cheese covered everything too.  I'm working to strike a balance.

So this morning I am back to counting my PointsPlus and logging my food and exercise.  Not because I have to, but because I want to seize the opportunity to take better care of myself.  And I've got to get into those peacock pants.

My Holiday Stash

Tasty tea goodness

I have loved Stash tea since I used to steal packets of their Chai Spice out of the University of Iowa dining hall for later use.

As the days get shorter and colder I have turned to tea more and more for warmth and hydration.  I don't need all the caffeine of regular tea, so I have been searching for a variety of decaf flavors.  Stash tea came through again with their Chocolate Hazelnut and Pumpkin Spice decaf flavors.

I wasn't order to find either in stores near me, so I ordered a 8-box case of each on Amazon.

Chocolate Hazelnut
The Chocolate Hazelnut tea is weird, but not bad.  I don't expect flavors of chocolate or hazelnut in tea form.  I think I like it!

Pumpkin Spice
There was virtually no doubt that I would like the Pumpkin Spice tea, and sure enough, it's a hit for me. It doesn't have quite as much spice as I would have put in, but it's still very tasty.

I'm glad I ordered both of these teas.  It is fun to mix it up every now and again when you drink as much tea as I do.  I have been drinking at least one and usually two cups every night.

One advantage to tea is that it is calorie/PointsPlus free but still gives a hit of sweet treat.  Once I get back to following Weight Watchers full time I'm sure these and other teas will become even more indispensable in my kitchen.