Sausage Potato Pepper Bake

It's been a while since I've updated.    School is back in session, and that means that I am BUSY!    It's a three day weekend, so I have some extra time to update!     Today I had a craving for sausage and peppers.    I wanted to make it a bit more healthy and hearty.    I found a few recipes on pinterest, and I combined them to make this!


4 Large baking potatoes
1 large yellow onion
1 large green bell pepper
1 pack of hot turkey sausage (links)
1 pack of sweet turkey sausage (links)
Non-stick cooking spray

Spray a large sheet of aluminum foil with nonstick cooking spray.   I chopped the potatoes first, then layered on the onion and pepper, and put the sausage on top.    I use Butterball turkey sausage, but I'm sure any kind will do.   It should be between 120 - 150 calories for one link.     Put another sheet of foil on top, and close it up, forming a foil packet).

Bake at 350 degrees until potatoes are soft, and sausage is cooked.   Cooking time will vary, depending on the size of your foil packet.    This recipe serves 8 large servings!    I didn't realize just how much I was making until it was all all packaged up.   But, I wanted it hearty enough so my hubby would eat it!

Calories:  330
Carbs:  36
Fat:  10
Protein: 24
Fiber:  4

Creamy Broccoli Soup

This is recipe is so ridiculous.    Ridiculously good, ridiculously easy, and ridiculous how I came up with it.

It's a rainy day today, and I wanted soup.    Creamy soup.    I checked around the fridge and the pantry.....and somehow came up with this crazy Delicious creamy broccoli soup!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup coconut almond milk unsweetened
2 cups water
4 TBS (or so) of light grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 Part Skim Ricotta cheese
1 Laughing Cow Light French onion cheese wedge
1 envelope of Lipton Noodle Soup Recipe Secrets
1, 12 ounce bag of steam fresh broccoli

Bring both the milks and the water to a low boil.   Add the cheeses and continue to keep at a low boil/simmer, stirring constantly.    You may need to use your spoon to break up the laughing cow cheese wedge.   Add the Lipton Noodle Soup Recipe Secrets.    Keep simmering and stirring frequenttly.    Meanwhile, follow the directions on the package of the broccoli to steam it.    Add the broccoli to the soup.   Continue to simmer for about ten more minutes, stirring frequently.   You want to get the broccoli soft and all the flavors blended.     When the soup has reached desired consistency and the broccoli is as soft as you want it, it's done!

I put some pepper on it and ate it with a couple of saltine crackers.    Ridiculously good, ridiculously easy.

Serves:   2 (large servings!)   320 calories, 38 carbs, 10 fat, 16 protein, 4 fiber

Skinny White Pizza

Yep.  Skinny white pizza.   I love white pizza.   I actually prefer it over regular pizza.   I don't like tomato sauce on my pizza, nor do I want the meat that comes on a pizza.   I just love a veggie pizza!

That's not to say that you can't modify this recipe to include the meat.....I'm sure that turkey pepperoni or sausage would work well - just be sure to include it in your nutritional value.  Personally, I just LOVE a plain pizza with sliced tomato.

This pizza is light and pure.   It contains only the purest of the white pizza flavors .....cheese, garlic, basil, and tomato!

1 High Fiber/Low Calorie Tortilla
1 TB Garlic
5 (or more) fresh basil leaves
1/4 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Part Skim Ricotta
1/2 cup sliced tomato (or just one half of a small tomato)
1 Baby Bell Mozzarella
1/2 tsp fat free grated Parmesan
Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

Spray both sides of a High Fiber, low card and calorie tortilla, and put it in a 350 oven to lightly toast.   Just toast it enough to be slightly crispy.   Once again I find myself giving free advertising....but these are very tasty.

Meanwhile...........

Spray a small pan with non-stick cooking spray, and quickly stir fry/warm up about a tablespoon on garlic.  

Chop up 5 large basil leaves.

Add the chopped basil and the garlic to 1/4 cup of Part Skim Ricotta.  Add 1/4 tsp of Italian Seasoning.  Mix thoroughly.   Salt and pepper to taste if needed.

When the tortilla is lightly toasted, spread the ricotta mixture onto the tortilla.

Thinly slice one wedge of Baby Bell Mozzarella cheese and distribute onto the tortilla, along with sliced tomato.  (and at this point, add whatever other pizza toppings you desire.)

Bake at 350 until the Mozzarella is melted and lightly browned.

Yes - there is one slice missing......I was hungry!!!!!

For 228 calories.....you can afford to add quite a bit.   ;)

Serves: 1     Calories: 228    Carbs:  20    Fat:  8   Protein:  16    Fiber:  9

Skinny creamy chicken Enchiladas

FINALLY!   So sorry for taking so long to update.   My first trial on making a skinny version of creamy chicken enchiladas was an epic fail!    I've been super busy since then, and haven't been able to try again until today.

Last weekend I did the Walk to Cure Diabetes.   It was so much fun, and a good way to start off the exercise/racing season.   I was hoping to do a 5K this weekend in Wilmington, but the online registration wasn't working and it made me slightly crazy.   I won't lie though.....I'm glad that it wasn't working.   It is a cold and rainy weekend here in Eastern Carolina.   I would have been miserable doing a 5K in this cold, wet, weather.  

The rain and cold makes me want to cook, so I AGAIN experimented around with skinny creamy chicken enchiladas.   Success!!!    They are soooo good.    We have a friend from Baltimore here for a visit, and he didn't even know that it was a skinny version.   And, he kept wondering what was that special taste?   That would be the coconut/almond milk.      I wasn't sure it would work, but it added so much creaminess with just a subtle nutty taste.  He and my hubby came back for seconds.   DELISH!!


8 ounces of shredded chicken (I boiled boneless, skinless breasts - but I'm sure that canned chicken or a rotisserie will work fine.   However, you will need to adjust the calories and/or weight watchers points)

Mix Chicken with:

1 1/2 cups of salsa
1/4 cup of enchilada sauce

Mix the above ingredients into a pan and keep on low heat, stirring frequently.   The point is to mix the flavors.   If you overcook it, it will be dry, and that doesn't make for a good enchilada.  

Next, make the creamy sauce:

1/2 cup of onion, quickly sauteed with 1 TB of Brummel and Brown Yogurt Spread (found in the butter/margarine section of the store - this is a MUST HAVE for skinny cooking!)

Add:

8 ounces of Fat free cream cheese
4 wedges of Laughing Cow Light French Onion cheese
3/4 cup of Non sweet Coconut Almond Milk (Trust me on this - make sure it is unsweetened - it adds creaminess and fantastic flavor!   But - too much of a good thing is bad.....)

Keep on low heat until cheeses and milk are blended.   Add salt and pepper to taste.   I added a dash of paprika - I needed the color of spice!  I also added about a tablespoon of taco seasoning.    At this point, if you want to add garlic or other spices, now is the time to do it.   Make the sauce how you want - spices don't add calories, but they can add sodium and such, so keep track of what you add.

Make the enchiladas:

6 Whole Wheat/high fiber tortillas
1 cup Low fat shredded mild cheddar

Divide the chicken mixture into 6 whole wheat/high fiber flour tortillas.    Put about 1.5 Tbs. of sauce into each tortilla, along with about 1.5 Tbs of light shredded cheddar cheese.   

Pack rolled and stuffed tortillas into a 9x9 baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

 



Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheddar over the top. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until bubbly. (note: when low fat cheese turns brown - it's too late. When the white sauce starts to bubble, they are done)

 

Serve it with whatever amount of salsa you want - just add it into the calorie count per serving. The salsa I use is only 15 calories per tablespoon. They are also great with enchilada sauce, but again, add in the calories. (I prefer serving them with salsa because of calorie and fat count.)

Serves: 6 Calories: 355 Carbs: 23 Fat: 12 Protein: 31 Fiber: 26

 

 

As for the coconut almond milk, I am totally giving free advertising here....BUT......it really rocks.  I use the unsweetened kind every morning in my smoothie.  It has a nutty flavor, so it doesn't work in place of milk in EVERY recipe, but it sure does work in many recipes!    It is only 45 calories for a whole cup - that's hard to beat!   In my opinion, it's awful as a milk substitute in coffee.  However,  It works well as a milk in cereal, but it depends on the cereal.     With recipes, it is great with onion, garlic, or other spices or flavors.   The secret is using it with other powerful flavors, if you don't want the nutty flavor.

 

 

 

Weight Watchers Points

Thank you for all the page views!   Please feel free to leave comments regarding the recipes, especially if you found a way to improve the recipes, while still keeping them 'skinny'!   You can also send me an e-mail if you have any suggestions.   All my contact information is on the home page!

I got an e-mail from a reader requesting that I include fiber information with my recipes, which would be helpful for those that are counting weight watchers points.    YES!   I can easily do that, and I feel kind of foolish that I wasn't doing that already - thanks for the suggestion!!!!!   I promise to include the fiber counts from now on.

I don't have a new recipe right now, I actually made the Skinny Buffalo rolls AGAIN...because I love them.  I can't get enough of them.    :)      I am in the process of 'making over' enchiladas.   I am just loving food in wrappers (now that I can actually wrap an egg roll wrapper).    It's a work in progress.   I want to make the best recipe using the easiest ingredients possible.   I work two jobs, so any shortcuts I can take....I take!      The version of skinny enchiladas I made today weren't so sporty.   Hopefully I'll get all the ingredients figured out and share it soon.   :)

Thanks again for reading, and for the suggestion!!

Skinny Chinese Food

Today I was craving Chinese food, so I thought I'd try to make a more healthy version.    Nah....the truth is that I have a bunch of leftover egg roll wrappers, so I decided to make veggie egg rolls and beef broccoli.

We'll start with the egg rolls.   I had left over broccoli slaw from the buffalo wraps, so that became the filling for my egg rolls.   I wanted to sneak in a bit of protein, so I included a bit of morning star farms meal starters. 

Morningstar Farms - Meal Starters - Grillers Recipe Crumbles, 1 cup
Marketside - Broccoli Slaw, 5/8 cups
Nasoya - Egg Roll Wrappers, 4 wrappers
365 Organic - Soy Ginger Sauce, 2 tbsp

I quickly sauteed the broccoli slaw with the Griller Crumbles and soy sauce - just enough to soften it and thaw out the crumbles.      Next, I wrapped 1/4 of the mixture into an egg roll wrapper. I am happy to report that my egg roll wrapping abilities greatly improved since yesterday, when I made the buffalo wraps.   My egg rolls were actually round!   Lightly spray the rolls with nonstick cooking spray and bake at 350 until golden brown. Serves:   4     calories:   95    Carbs:  15    Fat:  1   Protein:  6 Now, onto the stir fry.    I make veggie stir fries all the time.    I usually use carrots, green pepper, broccoli, pea pods, mushrooms, and whatever else sounds good.    Today I made beef and broccoli - but the beef was fake!   Once again, I used the Morning Star Farms Crumbles.     I'm not opposed to beef, or any kind of meat.    I just happen to really like Morningstar Farms products.   It's not at all like eating a steak, but it's great if you just want some protein and texture.    And, it saves in fat and calories. 4 cups of broccoli 2 cups Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Crumbles 5 TBS Kikoman Teryaki Sauce 1 TB Ginger Soy Sauce Lightly spray a non stick pan and stir fry the broccoli and Morningstar Farm Crumbles.    When the broccoli is bright green and softened a bit, add the sauces.    Continue cooking for a few more minutes, until the sauce has coated everything and the broccoli has reached desired softness.    Remember that this is a stir fry, so really soft broccoli would be kind of gross...... Serves:   2   Calories:   218     Carbs:   23    Fat:   4    Protein:  19 Eat it with an egg roll, and you have a full meal at right around 300 calories!    It is very filling, and will curb any Chinese food craving you may have.   :) I served it with a tablespoon of Duck Sauce (add an extra 30 calories).

Skinny Buffalo Rolls

Let me start off by saying that I will NOT win any awards for my ability to wrap an egg roll wrapper.   I made a hot mess.   However, despite the fact that this didn't result in the most beautiful recipe ever, it sure was delicious.     I got the original recipe from canyoustayfordinner, but I did make a minor change.  

1 can of chunk white meat chicken, 12.5 oz (I love the canned chicken for quick meals!)
Moore's hot sauce, 4 TBS.
Broccoli slaw, 3 oz.
6 egg roll wrappers
Wishbone Light Blue Cheese Dressing (for dipping)

Mix the chicken and the hot sauce together.    

Put 1/6 of the mixture onto a wrapper.   Top with a small amount of broccoli slaw.    Here is where you are on your own.   I am NOT a professional egg roll wrapper!   The first three I made had a bit too much filling.    The other three were more reasonable, but wrapping them was still hard for me.   The best advice I can give you is to put some water on your finger tips and moisten the edges of the wrapper.   This helps it seal and stay together.

Spray each roll with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 until golden brown.

Serves: 2

318 calories, 39 carbs, 5 fat, 31 protein

The nutritional information does not include the blue cheese dressing.   Personally, I loved these.   I made the serving size 3 wraps, because they are kind of addicting!  However, one roll is a perfect snack, and at right around 100 calories, you really can't go wrong!

The broccoli slaw as part of the filling cools off the heat from the chicken.   The slaw softens during the cooking process, and it just adds a nice flavor.    The end result is a satisfying meal or snack that definitely will curb any craving you have for buffalo wings.

Right now I have a bunch of leftover egg roll wrappers and broccoli slaw, so I guess I'd better think of something to make with them so they don't go bad!

Skinny Pizza Dip

As promised, I have 'made over' pizza dip.    I LOVE pizza dip.    I took an original recipe that I got from my sister, and then totally modified it using fat free and light ingredients.   I also added a few extra ingredients for flavor.  The amount of spices and garlic will depend on your taste.    Also, I am sure that you could add other pizza toppings such as green peppers or onions.   I just stuck to pepperoni.

Step 1:

1 package of fat free cream cheese
2 Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges - french onion flavor
2 TBS. minced garlic
1/4 cup Light Sour Cream
5.3 ounces of plain Greek yogurt, fat free
1 string cheese light, shredded in food processor
1 TB Italian Seasoning

Mix all of the above ingredients together.     Make sure it's mixed well, so that all the flavors blend together.   When it is thoroughly mixed, taste it.    You may want to add more garlic or Italian seasoning at this point, depending on your taste.

Put this in a small glass casserole dish as the first layer.    Add the next layers:

1 cup of pizza sauce
17 slices of turkey pepperoni, cut into quarters
2 String cheese light, shredded in food processor.

Cook at 350 until bubbly.   Let it sit for a few minutes before serving.  Makes 6 large servings.

141 Calories, 9 carbs, 4 fat, 15 protein

I'm sure you are wondering why I used string cheese.    Well, in my opinion it is easier to control the portion, so I know exactly how much I am adding.   The dip can be served on whatever you like.....crackers, bread, etc.   To keep it a 'skinny' dip, just watch what sort of chips or bread you use.   A lightly toasted light pita (60 calories) worked perfectly for us!   My hubby tasted the dip, and his eyes opened in delight!    I love it when he loves my skinny recipes!!

 

Yogurt as Mayo

First off......guess who is down 8 pounds???   Hopefully you guessed me.....I'm down 8 pounds!!!    I've been having breakfast as the Digest Smoothie (from an earlier post),  and healthy eating for lunch and dinner (all the meals I've shared with you!!)   I've also been working out.   I go outside and walk/jog when I can, but it's not often at this time of year.  Luckily, I have an elliptical machine, which works well!   Last night, I just turned on the satellite radio and DANCED.....and danced for non-stop for over 30 minutes.    It was a ton of fun!!!

I don't have photos of this recipe - my hubby and I ate it before I could take any photos!     Basically, we made chicken salad using Greek yogurt as the creamy part.

Skinny Chicken Salad:

1 can white meat chicken ( 12.5 oz)
1 cup of fat free plain greek yogurt
2 TBS Kens steak house Lite  Ceasar dressing
3 TBS sweet pickle relish

Drain the can of chicken, and shred the meat into a bowl.  Add remaining ingredients.    Serve as you like!    Hubby and I ate it on a whole wheat tortilla with romain lettuce; I ate it with nothing else for lunch.   I felt full for 4 hours!

Serves: 2     Calories:  260   Carbs:   20    Fats: 4    Protein:  39 

I am slowly convincing my husband that yogurt works well as a mayo or sour cream substitute.     This recipe helped!!!!    Stay tuned.....this weekend I plan to tackle pizza dip!!!   I am sure that I can make a more healthy version!    I'll be testing it on my girls and hubby's friends.....I'm sure they'll not notice the difference!!!

Zucchini Boats stuffed with Quinoa

My skinny cooking adventure today was Stuffed Zucchini Boats.    I had a couple of leftover zucchinis that needed to be used before they went bad.     Zucchini Boats seemed easy enough.    I had a box of Quinoa Blend (Quinoa, brown rice, and seasonings).   I wanted to have some cheese in them, and as luck would have it, I had some laughing cow lite cheese wedges on hand.    The end result made me feel like quite the skinny chef!

1 Box of Quinoa Blend (I used Near East)
2 medium zucchini
2 Laughing Cow Lite cheese wedges, French Onion

Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare the quinoa blend as directed on package.    Meanwhile, cut the zucchini lengthwise.   Scoop out the  seeds.   (threw the seeds away, but I'm sure they can be used somehow!)     When the quinoa blend is prepared, stir in two laughing cow cheese wedges.     Spoon the mixture into the zucchini boats.   Place boats in oven dish with about 1/4 cup of water on the bottom.    Bake at 350 until zucchini is soft.

This recipe can easily be 'dressed up', but I used only what I had on hand in my kitchen.

Serves: 2        351 calories, 63 carbs, 7 g. fat, 13 protein

What's even better is the health benefits of the Quinoa and the brown rice.   Both are natural grains, and Quinoa is considered a 'complete' protein in that in contains all essential amino acids.  

Even though I made this dish to eat later.....I HAD to know how it tasted!   So, I cut off a small piece of one of the boats....and OMG.     The zucchini has a natural buttery flavor, which mixed perfectly with the quinoa, rice, and cheese.    The cheese kept the rice and quinoa moist.    This was a food match made in heaven.

I had about a cup of the Quinoa and cheese mixture left over, so I split it between two containers so I would have two prepared meals - all ready to eat.    The calorie count includes the entire recipe - it's just that my zucchini weren't that big.    Two days of healthy lunch - already prepared!   Now....what to do about the other three days..........

Jerk Shrimp Caesar Salad

I wasn't planning on cooking anything for dinner...actually, I was just going to have a smoothie.     But, after a KILLER workout on the elliptical machine, I decided a salad would be perfect.    The problem?    What kind of protein is quick and easy and good on a salad?     I had some shrimp in the freezer, so I decided to use the jerk seasoning and make a Jerk Shrimp Caesar Salad.


4 oz. shrimp
Jerk Seasoning
2 TBS Kens Steakhouse Lite Caesar Dressing
Romaine Lettuce

Coat the shrimp with jerk seasoning (it's hot!!).   Cook it in a non-stick pan - it only takes a minute or two.    Serve over a bed of romaine lettuce with two tablespoons of the dressing.

Serves:  1    228 calories, 9 carbs, 8 fat, 30 protein

The shrimp is spicy, but the dressing and the lettuce totally cools it down.    It was a great post workout meal - not too heavy, but enough to make me feel full.

Chicken Gyros

So, the one week 'jump start' has been going well.    I did slip up last night and have wine last night, but the rest of the week was picture perfect.    I have a smoothie for breakfast, and a low calorie, healthy meal for lunch and dinner.   I also have two snacks.    Usually my snacks are string cheese and almonds.   I feel great, and my mood has improved tremendously!     I've been slowly easing exercise in.   I've been a slug since November, so it's going to take me some time to get back into any kind of cardio shape.

Today I made chicken gyros - sooooooooooooo yummy!!!!     I got the original recipe from the-girl-who-ate-everything , but I have modified it slightly to suit my tastes.

Skinny Chicken Gyros

Chicken Marinade:
1.5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 big TBS of fat free plain Greek Yogurt
1 TB lemon juice
1 TB Red wine vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1 TB extra virgin olive oil
Oregano
Salt and Pepper

Mix together and marinate chicken for at least one hour.  

Meanwhile, make the Tzatziki sauce.     This is my favorite part of a gyro!

1 whole cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 cup of fat free plain Greek Yogurt
Fresh Dill
one or two garlic cloves (to taste)
oregano
salt and pepper to taste

First, peel and seed the cucumber.   Chop it in the food processor until almost pureed.    Put a coffee filter in a bowl, and put the cucumber in the filter.    You want to get out as much water as you can.    I held the edges of my coffee filter for about 30 seconds until most of the liquid had drained out.     Next, put the cucumber back in the food processor with the other ingredients, and mix it all together.    How much dill, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper will depend on your taste.   Add them slowly - it doesn't take much!

Bake the chicken at 350 until cooked.    Meanwhile, stir fry a a chopped red onion in a nonstick pan to serve with the chicken.

That part of the recipe serves four people - 326 calories, 7 carbs, 8 fat, and 59 protein.     A typical gyro is served on flat bread with the chicken, onion, tzatziki sauce, and sometimes lettuce and tomato.    I've eaten mine on Lavash Bread (when I can find it), or in a pita.    I've even eaten it with no bread!    It just depends on how many calories and carbs you want to add.  Today I used a high fiber wheat tortilla.

It was a mess to eat - but boy was it Delicious !!      I just totally love Tzatziki sauce......I could use it as a vegetable dip.    hmmmm.....maybe I'm on to something.......

Reader's Digest Jump Start

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling so bloated and sluggish.    I'm sure it had nothing to do with the wine and junk food from the night before.   I was miserable and completely disgusted with myself.   As I lay on the couch in my sluggish state, I stumbled upon the 'Digest Diet'.    It didn't strike me as a complicated plan, and I thought maybe it would be a good way to get started on my health journey.

There is a one week 'jump start'.    I aim to follow the plan as much as I can.   (I say as much as I can because not all the food items are available in rural North Carolina!)   The plan calls for two smoothies/shakes per day, one snack, and one serving of soup.     I made the smoothie for breakfast, and it was pretty good.   The peanut butter kind of overpowered the other flavors, but it was pretty tasty.   I had to omit the flaxseed meal, since I can't buy that here.

Fast Release Shake (from the Reader's Digest Diet)

6 oz. of nonfat yogurt (I used greek)
1/4 cup light coconut milk
3 Tbs. nonfat milk powder
8 strawberries (I used frozen)
1 Tbs. flaxseed meal
1 Tbs. natural peanut butter
2 tsp honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
ice cubes if desired

Combine ingredients until frothy.   Drink for two per day as a meal.  395 calories, 16 grams protein, 18 grams fat, 9.5 grams fiber, 210 mgs. sodium, 50 grams carbs.

The second part of the jump start plan is to eat two cups of soup.    I decided to go with the recipe I found in the magazine - it looked good and seemed easy to make.   It was easy - but dealing with the dried ancho chiles and making an ancho paste was painful!    I'm an amateur when it comes to peppers and chiles, and my eyes were burning!!   Anyway, it wasn't difficult - and the recipe make ten cups, with one serving being two cups.   (from Reader's Digest Diet).

4 dried ancho chiles
2 cups boiling water
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 chopped onion
2 cloves chopped garlic
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
1 lb zucchini cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 can no salt added pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds, toasted

1.   Combine chiles and boiling water.   Let soak for 30 minutes, reserve the soaking liquid.
2.   Bring broth to a simmer.   Add chicken and simmer until chicken is cooked though.   Transfer chicken to a bowl and shred.    Reserve the broth.
3.   Stem and seed the chiles ans transfer to blender.   Add the soaking liquid, onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper.  Puree until smooth.
4.  heat oil over medium heat until it simmers, and carefully add chile puree (it will spatter) and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.   Add the reserved broth, zucchini, and beans.   Simmer until zucchini is tender.
5.   Stir in chicken, salt, and lime juice.   Simmer about two minutes.    Serve with teaspoon of pumpkin seeds.

One serving is two cups.   Have one serving per day.

349 calories, 31 grams protein, 14 grams fat, 9 fibers, 84 mgs. sodium, 26 grams carbs.

It tastes just as good as it looks!!    It was worth the watery eyes from making the Chili paste!    The best news is that I have my lunch made for the rest of the week - I'll just need to fumble with the smoothies in the morning.  :)

Here I go.....

Most of my adult life I have been thin.   Not super skinny, but not chubby.   If I gained a few pounds, I would quickly lose them.    However, now I am 42 years old, and no longer thin.   I wouldn't say I'm fat - but if I don't make a change I sure will be.   I am not able to lose the weight the way I used to, so I am taking a new approach.

Yes, I want to lose the weight I gained.    But, I also want to be healthy.    I want my 40's to be the best so far...and I want to be the picture of health and fitness.

Last year I ran in three 5K's, and one of them was an extremely difficult mud run.    I hope to do more races this year with better results.   I will be eating healthy food, and trying out many recipes.

Follow my on my quest for fitness and health!!!