Friday, March 23, 2012

Ole! Quick and Healthy Chicken Tostadas

Hello all!

One of the things that I know everyone struggles with, is finding healthy meals to make when you are in a bind for time, or just simply don't feel like slaving over a hot stove for an hour to make yourself, or family, a fun meal. This is where my Chicken Tostadas come in...
Yummy right?
Let's get to making these bad boys!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Beef and Butternut Squash Stew

I got into a fight with a butternut squash and... lost
On Sunday night I made a super yummy dinner for the hubby and I before he had to go and leave me for the week again :( BOO! But the dinner totally made up for the fact that he was leaving.
This recipe is very delicious, cheap to make, and to top it off, it is simple and quick! Who can complain about that? Not I...
It's simply tender beef cubes in a broth of marsala, butternut squash chunks, garlic, rosemary, thyme and sun dried tomatoes. Oh. So. Good.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Hello Gorgeous! My Favorite Accessory for Spring 2012

My latest obsession has got to be all these adorable spring clothes! I mean, all of these Spring 2012 collections I've seen so far are ridiculously fun and flirty, as well as affordable. I recently went to Target and scooped up some cute trends: a nautical inspired blue and white stripped bandeau dress, coral colored shorts, dolman sleeve tops, cropped cardigans, chunky bracelets and a bunch more! The color palette for spring is super cute and I could not be more in love.

Introducing my newest bracelets! I love love love them! Anything that is chunky and looks like it was put together but in a unique way is totally my style. 
I paired my red, mustard and teal bracelets with my Tiffany & Co. bracelet along with my nametape bracelet that I bought for my husbands deployment.
 Soooo CUTE! 
The great part about this is that you can really wear them with whatever casual outfit you want to this Spring. They definitely can mix and match with whatever you want, and still compliment it amazingly.

Egg White Scramble with Toast and Fresh Cut Strawberries

So this morning I had a hankering for a good and yummy breakfast... and that's where my egg white scramble comes into play!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Asian Persuasion

So today I basically made one of the most flavorful dishes I have made in a long time... Spicy Chicken Peanut Chow Mein! This meal was honestly packed full of asian flavor, peanutty, sesame, spicy goodness. I am in love to say the least.
  • One of things that I was able to do was to use gluten free quinoa spaghetti noodles in place of the chow mein, so I could still have this dish :)

Spicy Chicken Peanut Chow Mein

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup matchstick-cut carrot 
  • 12 oz of gluten free quiona spaghetti
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 
  • 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast 
  • 1/2 cup of red onion (sliced thin)
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1 whole red bell pepper (sliced thin)
  • 3 cloves of garlic (smashed and chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ground ginger
  • 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
  • 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar 
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1 teaspoon siracha
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 cup (1-inch) sliced green onions 
  • 2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • Directions:
  • Cook carrots and snow peas in boiling water until carrots are slightly soft.
  • Cook quiona spaghetti to al dente firmness.
  • Spray pan with cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Cut chicken crosswise into thin strips. Add chicken and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to pan; stir-fry 3 minutes. Remove chicken from pan. 
  • Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce, broth, oyster sauce, sugar, siracha, toasted sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and pepper, stirring well. 
  • Add teaspoon of sesame oil to a hot saute pan. Add in onion, mushrooms, bell pepper, garlic and ginger to pan; stir-fry for 3 minutes or until vegetables are softened. Add broth mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Add cooked noodles and chicken to pan; cook 1 minute, tossing to combine. Sprinkle with onions and peanuts.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

A Healthy Lunch Doesn't Have To Taste Bad


Lunch is my favorite meal of the day… well along with breakfast, dinner and the occasional snack.
It’s a crucial meal to include into your day because you need fuel to keep you and your body going for the remainder of your day. Never skip lunch, I repeat, NEVER SKIP LUNCH. It’s vital to make your lunch healthy, nutritious and of course yummy.

I try to always include three main components into each meal that I have: Protein, a whole grain, at least one vegetable and at least one fruit. Today’s lunch consisted of all of them. SCORE!
Yum-O!
Todays lunch consisted of an 8 ounce cup of Chobani 0% Greek Yogurt mixed with 1/3 cup of red seedless grapes and less than a 1/4 of Bob’s Red Mill Muesli (I only had a little bit left, but this stuff is awesome!) This was paired with a 1/3 cup of organic baby peeled carrots and a slice of organic 100% organic spelt bread with 1 tablespoon of almond butter and a teeny bit of agave. Of course some good ol’ water was included too!
What more could you ask for from lunch?

Thursday, March 8, 2012

To run or not to run... That is the question

Ever since I started on my weight loss journey three years ago, I fell in love with running.
It started off as a mile... then 3 miles... 6 miles... 13.1 miles. Uh I know I'm a bit crazy, but I wouldn't be able to do that many miles if I didn't have the right shoes.
It's really critical to be able to run, be comfortable, and not have strain on your joints along the way.
When I really started getting into it, I saw buying a great pair of shoes as an investment for my health because that's what it is. After much googling and numerous try ons later, I picked the Asics GEL-KAYANO 16. It was a great decision and I immediately was getting tons of miles out of those things.
I know I made a great decision. :) Even more so because I've bought a couple more pairs of the same shoe... Maybe it's love?
Also, I recently invested in another pair of shoes, more specifically used for training purposes and regular gym workouts.
These Nike Lunarlon are comfortable, really light, and not to mention super cute! I've never seen anyone with this shoe in this color. In a way I guess I can say I'm sharing my individuality with everyone around me.
These weren't as expensive as the Asics since they don't have all the bells and whistles made to be a component of a long distance running shoe, but it works for the purpose that I use it for! Can't complain one bit!

Monday, March 5, 2012

Brown Sugar Blueberry and Pineapple Coconut Crumb Muffins

These muffins are amazing! Let me tell you...
Luckily for my figure myself, they were for my hubby since he's away during the week. I made the Pineapple Coconut Crumb Muffins last week for him and he was floored by the taste. They are super light and fluffy and healthy based upon my tweaks I did for the recipe.