Orange Creamsicle Fruit Dip

Have you ever had an insatiable craving for a creamsicle? It's become a popular flavor these days and I decided to try it out as a fruit dip with Greek yogurt, honey and a few tasty orange-y ingredients! It was a wild success with my husband and myself!

 (Sorry about the picture! I didn't think that I was going to take one until I took a bite)

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup light or fat-free sour cream
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (the real stuff, not the "Greek-style")
• 2-3 tablespoons orange marmalade, low sugar
• 1 tbsp orange juice concentrate (I used Minute Maid's Low Acid variety)
• 1/2 tsp orange blossom water
• 1 tsp creamy honey (or, to taste)

Directions: combine all ingredients in a dish and stir together well. Serve with varied fruit like kiwi, banana, apple, strawberry, oranges or berries.

Serves 4 with 1 cup of fruit on the side.

Nutritional information (from Lose It!) for 1 serving of dip: 112 calories, 2g fat (1.3g saturated), 10.4 mg cholesterol, 71.8 mg sodium, 17.6g carbs (0.2g fiber, 12.5 g sugars), 5.9g protein.

Notes:

• Orange Blossom water is available in the specialty section of grocery stores or Middle Eastern food stores. It's extremely powerful stuff though so note that if you want to experiment with it!
• I just made this up on the fly. I had no idea that it would be so good! As a matter of fact, the measurements provided are for all that I had left of the sour cream and the Greek yogurt. I just wanted wanted to use them up.
• Real Greek yogurt has around 18g protein for a 3/4 cup serving. I use the PC Greek yogurt brand, available here in Canada.

Ideas:

• This would be seriously fantastic with some crushed, canned mandarins and a little of the juice instead of the marmalade and orange blossom water. 
• Another great idea is to replace the sour cream with plain kefir. As a matter of fact, that just might be my next combination. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Guilt-free Rewards for a Job Well Done

One of my problems with it comes to weight loss is struggling with the idea of rewarding myself for a job well done. It could be that I finally finished a long, arduous project or that I finally did 4 workouts this week. The first thing that I think is: I should reward myself, time for a Coke. Or, a chocolate bar. Or ice cream. 

Well, that just damaged the good chore that I finished. So, I took some time to make a list of guilt-free rewards to give myself for a job well done. I know I am not the only person thinking about this so I will share it with you.

Some of these options require finances but some are also free. What you could do is while you are working towards a goal, decide on the reward that you want to give yourself. Then put aside money for it while you are working towards the goal. For example, as a reward to myself for finishing a large project at work I can save money on the side to get my hair done at the salon. Once the goal is reached, then I can go for a morning of pampering and not worry about the finances.

• A long bubble bath with a yummy scent and candles, perhaps my favorite music in the background
• A mug of steaming hot apple cider or a hot chocolate with marshmellows (the diet kind)
• One uninterrupted evening of doing an activity that I secretly love (like writing)
• Talking on the phone with a best friend or on Skype
• Throw a party with all of your friends -- perhaps a pot luck, movie night, etc.
• One uninterrupted evening (or afternoon) of starting and finishing a project
• Watching a new movie at home. This could mean renting it then giving it the full new movie treatment (for me, this is turning out the lights, stopping all projects and just watching a new movie). 
• Going out to the theatre to see a new movie with friends (or with my husband)
• Have a nice meal at a new restaurant
• One uninterrupted evening of browsing my favorite websites
• Buying and reading a new magazine
• One evening of planning an upcoming event (like Christmas) and planning all of the items that I want to make to decorate the house or give as gifts
• If it's summer, one afternoon sitting and tanning under the sun with a nice book or great music
• Signing up for a class in a topic that I want to learn about (like yoga, knitting, or a language of choice)
• Crossing an activity off of the bucket list (skydiving, rockclimbing, running a 5K, etc.)
• Digging out the old "To Do" list and tackling one of the older ones that you've always said will never get done (ex. organizing the filing cabinet). 
• Reading a new book (or, one of your old favorites)
• Take on a new knitting project or spend an evening knitting
• Take the dog out for a walk in a new area (or put on rollerblades and run with the dog) or to the park
• Learn a new hobby from a friend (or teach a friend how to do one of your hobbies, if they are interested)
• Have a game evening on the Wii, Xbox or whatever you have with the family. See who will win. 
• Return to a hobby that you love but haven't done for a long time (for me, that would be genealogy or cross-stitching)
• Try a new recipe out of a magazine for supper
• Spend an afternoon at the local bookstore -- not buying anything -- but sitting with a coffee, paging through some books to see what is new and checking out the ones that you've always wanted. 
• Spend a lazy afternoon on the couch doing a hobby, snuggling with the kids and the pets
• Watch a movie that was your childhood favorite (perhaps even introduce it to your kids or your husband)
• Trying something new with your significant other (I don't think that I need to elaborate on this one)
• Go for a massage or spa treatment. 
• If you are a woman, try a new makeover on yourself or go and get one at Sephora or another store with that option. 
• Go to bed early or sleep in. Get your significant other involved in this to make sure that you are able to sleep in (or go to bed early) without any distractions. 
• Spend an evening researching a topic that interests you but you've never had time to think about it (like a historical event, a famous person, etc.)
• Get your hair done with color, highlights or a perm. Ask for the full treatment with the scalp massage and special conditioners that most salons do for free and enjoy the trip.

5 Simply Fabulous Lunch Wraps

There is a wrap at a particular coffee shop that I LOVE. Whenever I forget my lunch, I get this wrap there on the way to work. I got thinking though: this is so incredibly good that I am sure that I can make it at home. Then I realized that there are other simply fabulous wrap combinations out there as well. Here are 10 that I thought of (and tested!):

1. Thai Tuna Wrap: make a chili lemon mayonnaise with chili powder, lemon juice and mayonnaise. Add a chopped red bird chili. Add 1 can of water-packed tuna, 2 tbsp chopped green onions, 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, 1/4 cup cooked brown rice and 1/4 cup shredded cooked carrot. Mix together and add to a sun-dried tomato wrap. Wrap and refrigerate before eating.
2. Horseradish Beef Wrap: Mix together 1/4 cup chopped leftover beef roast and 1/4 cup leftover sauteed onions and mushrooms. Add 2 tbsp prepared horseradish sauce (I like a lot more) and mix. Add to a sundried tomato wrap with some sliced red pepper strips. Wrap and refrigerate before eating.
3. Vietnamese Spring Rolls: Cook some rice noodles and shrimp. Also wet some rice paper. In the cooked rice paper, add a handful of cooked rice noodles and three to four shelled, cooked shrimp (tails removed). Add a long sprig of fresh coriander and strips of cut red and green pepper then roll up like a wrap. Also, make a peanut dip with 2 tbsp natural peanut butter, 1 tbsp ketchup and 1 chopped red bird chili. Serve immediately with the dip. (These can be refrigerated but I find that the rice paper and the noodles get a little hard.)
4. Antipasto Wrap: add some leftover cooked, chopped chicken to a bowl and mix with 3 tbsp chopped, drained sun-dried tomatoes, 3 chopped canned artichoke hearts, 1/4 cup cooked, drained frozen spinach and 1 oz feta cheese, crumbled. Mix together. Add to a sun-dried tomato wrap and wrap up. Serve immediately (because it might get soggy).
5. Greek spinach wrap: cook some frozen spinach then drain it well. Add to a spinach or pesto tortilla with some leftover chopped chicken and light feta cheese. Wrap up and serve immediately.

Ice Cream vs. Frozen pudding

Whenever I crave ice cream, this is what I do:

That is frozen pudding. It doesn't matter what kind (I have tried nearly all of them from the grocery store) but if you add them to the freezer overnight and eat them whenever you have an ice cream craving, you could save at least 100-200 calories. And it's still a frozen, cold treat.

Making a lazy supper better...

I didn't want to cook last night AT ALL. No way, no how. So, I bought a bean and cheese burrito with the thought that supper would only take 2 minutes. Then my conscience stepped in saying: you have time to sauté some vegetables. I listened and it only took about 15 minutes. I did the dishes while this cooked.

Sautéed cabbage:

• 1/4 Savoy cabbage, shredded
• 1 tbsp butter
• sodium-reduced chicken stock
• salt
• pepper

I heated up the cast-iron pan to medium and melted the butter. Add the cabbage and sauté but let it stick on a little bit. I cooked it for about 15 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes or so. I added a splash of chicken stock whenever it was needed then seasoned it with salt and pepper before serving.

After I cooked some cabbage and green beans, I felt better about the burrito. At least I was getting some veggie intake!

Product review: Juicy Fruit Dessert Gum

I have been watching the commercials for dessert gum but it was only a few days ago that I found it available in Canada. I was delighted! I bought all three kinds: Apple Pie, Strawberry Shortcake and Orange Creamsicle.

Orange Creamsicle: I found the flavor of this gum rather fake but it is a pretty good imitation of an orange creamsicle. The taste lasts only about 10 minutes but that is alright. The texture doesn't change over time (like regular Juicy Fruit gum) and I've found myself chewing it for a few hours without even realizing it. Overall review: 6 out of 10.

Strawberry Shortcake: the flavor of this gum came off as REALLY fake to me. I have to give them credit though because you can almost taste the bun, strawberries and whipped cream. The flavor isn't so great once it fades away though and I found that it had an aftertaste. I don't think that I will buy this one again. Overall review: 4 out of 10.

Apple Pie: this was the STAR! I absolutely love this gum! It really does taste like apple pie with cinnamon and everything! The flavor is truly stellar and although it fades after 10 minutes, I don't care. I love this gum and I will buy it again. I might even chew this in place of apple pie. Overall review: 9 out of 10.

Main points:

• Texture: good, doesn't change over time
• Flavor: only Apple Pie one was good but all of them last only about 10 minutes
• Price: SCARY. I think they are $2.49 per package which is insane. Wait a few months until they are about $1.50.

15 Meals with leftovers

Do you want to eat that meal again? How can you remake it so that you are using up the leftovers but eating something new? These are 15 ideas that I had on how to remake leftovers and turn them into a new meal.

1. Hot chicken sandwich: Take leftover chopped chicken or turkey and add to a piece of toast. If it's Xmas or Thanksgiving, add a little dressing or cranberry sauce as well then cover with another piece of toast for a hot chicken/turkey sandwich. Chutney or homemade relish is another option. Cover with hot gravy (leftover or not). Eat with leftover veggies.
2. Pot pie: Make a chicken, turkey or beef pot pie with leftover meat, veggies and some thawed puff pastry. Great add-ins are peas, corn, carrots, potatoes, mushrooms and cheese.
3. Chili spaghetti: Add leftover chili to spaghetti sauce and serve with pasta for a spicy kick.
4. Chili beans: Add leftover chili to baked beans (leftover or canned). You can also add this to hotdogs for spicy chili dogs while watching the game.
5. Chili cakes: Dethaw two packages of puff pastry. Grease one to two muffin tins and heat the oven up to 375. Cut the thawed pastry into squares and fit into muffin tins. Fill the cavity with leftover vegetable chili and sprinkle some cheese on top. Bake until the cheese is golden and the filling is hot, about half an hour. Eat as many as you want!
6. Pasta cups: take any leftover pasta that you have. Toss with a chopped pepper, onion and shredded cheese. Stuff the muffin cups with the pasta mixture and bake in a 350 F oven for about 20-30 minutes or until browned on the bottom. Serve with a salad. You can probably do this with rice too.
7. Burritos: Chop some onions, red and green pepper, mushrooms and some tomatoes. In a warm skillet, sauté the onions and tomatoes, then add the peppers and mushrooms along with hot sauce, chili powder and oregano; cook until soft. Add some leftover chopped chicken or beef roast pieces at the end to heat it up. Add to a flour tortilla and add some shredded cheese overtop, roll up and eat.
8. Quesadillas: Chop up a celery stalk and some red pepper into small pieces and stir fry until done. Add chopped leftover chicken to this mixture then spread over a flour tortilla. Pour cheese salsa overtop, add another flour tortilla on top and heat up in the microwave until cheese salsa is hot, about a min. Another idea is to add leftover chili to the quesadilla.
9. Action-packed rice: heat up a saute pan with some oil and add some chopped onion and mushrooms. Add 1 cup of leftover rice and season with soy sauce. Add some chopped up leftover meat and scrambled egg and keep cooking until the rice starts to brown on the bottom (but not burn). Add some thawed, chopped spinach. Keep turning until everything is heated and mixed through then serve.
10. Hash: you can do this with almost any leftovers. Take leftover chopped meat, potatoes and veggies and saute in a pan with a chopped onion. Let it brown on the bottom and keep turning it over to let it cook together then serve. This is great with leftover sausages, potatoes and veggies or other ingredients like bacon, eggs and sweet potatoes.
11. Fajita rice stew: Chop up some celery and red and green peppers along with a large onion and 2 cloves of garlic. On a separate cutting board, chop up two to three beef steaks in strips about 1 inch long. In a warm skillet, add a little oil then the onion and later the garlic. Add the meat strips, cook them. While this is cooking, open a can of black beans and a can of corn niblets, both drained well. Add the beans and corn along with the peppers and along with a large bottle of hot or medium salsa (or leftover chili). Add spices like cumin or chili powder if desired. Add 1 cup of cooked leftover rice. Simmer it all down until the peppers are tender and serve this beef fajita stew (can be done with chicken also). Add chopped cilantro at the end if desired, or chopped green onions.  This can also be made in advance and served as a cold rice salad.
12. English muffin paninis: Chop your fav cheese and lay out on an English muffin. Add tomato slices, pieces of cooked leftover meat, and some cleaned spinach leaves. Put two halves together, and press into a George Foreman grill like a Panini press until golden brown and flattened a bit.
13. Tacos: use any leftover meat with some shredded lettuce and cheese to make tacos. All you need is a taco kit.
14. Creamy casserole: Add some pre-cooked brown rice to a casserole dish with 1 cup of chicken broth. Add sliced veggies (leftover or fresh) and diced meat (leftover or fresh). Add leftover pureed soup (instead of canned soup) and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. You can also add shredded cheese before baking, if you want.
15. Mashed potato cups: load up your leftover mashed potatoes with cooked bacon, chives, sour cream, cheese or whatever you want. Mix it up then add to a greased muffin tin (or you can use paper cups). Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until done. Eat on the side with your meal. Another idea is to mix leftover mashed potatoes with leftover chili and top with cheese to make these.

15 Quick, Easy Meals

Are you having trouble getting supper together? Or perhaps you stand looking into the fridge wondering what to cook for supper. Here are 15 ideas (enough for 3 weeks of week-day suppers) for quick, healthy meals from my recipe book.

1. Chilled lentil salad: Open a can of lentils, drain and wash well. Add to a bowl. Chop up some fresh coriander and a two chopped tomatoes, add to bowl with lentils. Sprinkle with a little chopped onion and a little garlic powder, the juice from a lemon, salt and pepper, and some Parmesan cheese. Toss together and put in the fridge for a couple of hours beforehand.
2. Moroccan couscous: Heat up two cups of vegetable or chicken stock in the microwave until boiling. Once done, add one cup of couscous, let set for five min. Meanwhile, chop up some dried apricots and fresh coriander. Have some chopped walnuts and raisins ready, along with a chopped fresh tomato and a little olive oil. Once the couscous is ready, add all of this and fluff. Add salt and pepper. Serve on the side with cooked lamb or pork chops.
3. Indian Chickpeas: Open a can of chickpeas and drain, rinse off well. Add to an oven dish. Pour a bottle of low-fat Indian Butter Chicken sauce over top and put in the fridge over night to marinate. Take out of the fridge at least one hour before cooking (if possible), then roast at 375 degrees for about 45 min and serve over rice with steamed broccoli. The chickpeas can be replaced with cubed, thawed chicken as well. 
4. Shrimp and Asparagus stir-fry: Break off the woody ends of asparagus, chop into one inch pieces. Heat up a skillet with a little oil, then add some onion and garlic, sauté. While that is cooking, take the tails off of shrimp from a thawed shrimp ring. Add the asparagus, sauté until bright green. Add shrimp just to warm up. Add your favorite stir-fry sauce (soy sauce, teriyaki, sweet and sour, mushroom soup, etc.) then serve over rice.
5. Smoked Salmon Bagel Sandwiches: Toast a small multi-grain bagel, scrape some plain cream cheese on it while it’s still a little warm along with some fresh dill. Add a thawed slice of smoked salmon, two slices of tomato and a little lettuce on top.
6. Mexican bean salad: Open a can of black beans, drain and wash off. Add to a bowl. Do the same with a can of corn niblets, add to the bowl. Add a bottle of salsa (hot or mild) and some chopped coriander. Stir and let set in the fridge over night before serving, if desired.
7. Fusion rice: Heat up a skillet with a little oil. Add the rice and spice mix from a box of Dainty Indian rice with ¼ cup of water. Add chopped celery and chopped dried apricots. Sauté until liquid is absorbed, and if necessary add another ¼ cup water. Meanwhile, take the tails off shrimp from half of a thawed shrimp ring. Add the shrimp when ready along with some shredded carrot, sauté until shrimp is hot then serve.
8. Homey rice with ham: Open a package of Dainty chicken rice. Heat up a skillet and add the rice and spice pack. Add some frozen peas and chopped ham. Cook together, at the last minute add some shredded carrot and let that cook a little. Serve.
9. Calzone: Dethaw a piece of puff pastry. When soft, cut into two or three squares. Crack two eggs, but only keep the whites and have ready in a small bowl with a brush. Heat up the oven to 375. In the middle, add pepperoni, cooked sausage, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc. your fav pizza toppings and cheese. Brush the edges of the pastry with the egg wash and fold one edge onto the other to make a triangle package. Seal with a fork, brush the pastry with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 min in the oven.
10. Tomato-bacon pasta: Chop up an onion, a box of cleaned mushrooms, and about 7-10 chopped pieces of bacon (depending on your preference) on a cutting board. Clean a box of cherry tomatoes. Heat up a hot skillet, add the bacon. Cook down until reduced and starting to brown. Add the onions and mushrooms. Meanwhile, heat up water for pasta, one with nooks and crannies like macaroni or fusilli. When the pasta goes into the pot, set the timer for the cooking time. 5 min before the pasta is done, add the tomatoes to the bacon skillet and with a spoon, gently pop all of them. When the pasta is done, drain and add to tomato-bacon sauce. Toss well. Serve.
11. White pizza: Get a premade pizza crust and sauce from the grocery store. Preheat the oven to 375. On the crust, slather with Ranch dressing, except for the margin edges. Sprinkle lots of mozzarella cheese over top. Add some cooked crumbled bacon, sausage, chopped spinach and chopped tomato. Bake in oven until cheese is brown and the crust is golden brown around the edges, about 15-20 min.
12. Orzo Pasta Salad: Chop up some cleaned celery, tomato and a little onion. Add to a bowl of leftover orzo pasta, or any leftover pasta. Coat with some Greek salad dressing. Add chopped black olives and feta cheese if desired, stir together and let sit at least one hour before eating cold.
13. Mushroom beef, potatoes and veggies: Heat up a skillet and brown some thawed ground beef. While that is happening, chop up an onion, a couple cloves of garlic, and a box of mushrooms. Once the meat is mostly browned, drain off some of the fat and return to burner. Add all chopped ingredients and let soften. Add a can of cream of wild mushroom soup, mix together. Serve overtop of mashed potatoes and have something green like peas on the side.
14. Puréed vegetable soup: Boil a vegetable of choice (like cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, squash, carrot, parsnip, leeks, etc) in either chicken or vegetable stock with the addition of a clove or two of peeled garlic. Once the vegetable is cooked, add everything to a blender and purée until smooth. If it is too thick, add more chicken stock or even add some evaporated milk to make it a nice, creamy soup.
15. Sautéd Succotash: Chop up an onion. Heat up a skillet with a little oil. Drain a can of red kidney beans and dethaw 1 cup of corn. Wash the beans well. Add onion to skillet on medium heat, sauté. Add a little vegetable stock if liquid is necessary. Season with salt and pepper, let cook until the skins of the beans pop, about 10-15 min.

25 fast, easy sides for meals

Here are 25 ideas that I had for sides to your supper. These are mostly vegetable sides that take around 20 minutes to make. They also make use of your oven if it takes longer so that the stove is free.

1. Heat up a skillet on medium heat. When warm, add some chopped bacon. Stir fry until it becomes brown and crisp, drain off a little fat if desired. Add chopped cleaned broccoli and stir fry until broccoli becomes bright green. Serve with rice. This can be done with green beans or Brussels sprouts as well.
2. Chop 3 onions into thin slices and a box of cleaned mushrooms into quarters. Add to a warm skillet with a little oil and sauté down until reduced in size by half, about 15 to 20 min. Add as a side to steak and rice, or potatoes.
3. Take four onions. Peel off the skin, cut off the hairy ends. Set all four onions (whole) in a purex baking dish. Brush with BBQ sauce then roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 45 min to one hour, or until soft. Serve with steak.
4. Clean off three large potatoes (peel if desired). Cut into wedges, fries or hash browns. Toss in a bowl with a little oil and a variety of spices, from chili powder to thyme and basil. Add salt and pepper. Lay in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25 min, shaking and stirring at least once, until golden brown.
5. Take some leftover mashed potatoes. Add cooked bacon and chopped green onions, or other add-ins. Add enough flour and an egg to bind it together, then form into patties in your hands. Add to a hot skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 4 mins. Serve.
6. Sliver some nappa cabbage and add to a warm skillet with a little oil. Stir fry and add some hot sauce. This only takes five mins at the most, when the cabbage is limp, it’s done.
7. Sliver some nappa cabbage, chop an onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add the onion to a hot skillet with a little oil and saute until translucent. Add garlic and cabbage and saute until the cabbage is done.
8. Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Cut an acorn squash in half, clean out seeds. Season with salt and pepper and add spoonfuls of applesauce. Add a little grated cheese on top if desired. Roast covered with aluminum foil for 45 min to an hour, or until soft with pierced with a fork.
9. Peel and chop some cucumber into rounds. Add to a bowl with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons vinegar and a 1 tablespoon of white sugar, enough to create a watery sauce. Season with salt and pepper, let set for as long as possible.
10. Cut a butternut squash in half. Peel with a vegetable peeler (it’s easier) and scoop out seeds. Add to a roasting dish. Toss with a little oil, salt and pepper then roast in the oven at 350 until fork tender, about 30-45 min. When done, toss with a chopped fresh herb before serving, like basil or coriander.
11. Heat up one and a half cups of chicken stock in the microwave. Meanwhile, chop up some cleaned spinach and some sun-dried tomatoes. When stock is hot, add to a bowl and pour in one cup of couscous. Add the spinach and tomatoes, cover. Let set for about 5 to 8 min, fluff with a fork before serving.
12. Chop up some peeled carrot and peeled turnip. Add to a pot and simmer with enough chicken stock to cover with a little extra. Add a clove of peeled garlic too. Once fork tender, purée in a blender and season if necessary.
13. Clean four hot house tomatoes. Finely chop up some onions, bacon, mushrooms and green pepper and add to a skillet to reduce it down. In another bowl, mix some of your favorite shredded cheese with some bread crumbs of finely chopped nuts. While the onion mixture is reducing, cut the tops off of the tomatoes and remove the seeds and pulp so that you can stuff them. Once the onion mixture is ready, add the bread crumb mixture to it. Stuff the tomatoes with the onion-bread crumb mixture and top with the cheese. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 min or until the bread crumbs and cheese are golden brown.
14. Open two cans of sliced beets and drain. Cube on a chopping board. On a separate board, crumble some feta or goat cheese. Heat up a skillet, add the chopped beets and sauté. Sprinkle with a little fresh chopped basil. Add crumbled cheese and serve. 
15. Cook some frozen peas in water until they are done, usually 5 min after the boiling point. Drain and toss with some sour cream and freshly chopped mint or coriander.
16. Clean off four large portabello mushrooms with a paper towel and remove the stem. Meanwhile, chop up two Italian tomatoes, some pitted black olives, some fresh spinach and some feta cheese. Add all of these ingredients to a bowl and toss with fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped walnuts. Stuff mixture into mushroom cavity, bake in preheated 375 oven until the top is brown and the mushrooms have shrunken a little in size.
17. Chop off the frizzy top (fronds) of a fennel and the stump off the bottom. Slice in half, then cut into ½ inch slices. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat up a skillet and spray with Pam or add butter to melt down. When hot, place in the slices of fennel in one layer and let sear down. This takes about 6 min per side and it’s done once the core of the fennel is softened.
18. Chop of the hairy end and dark green parts of the leek. Clean, half and chop into small pieces. Clean and chop up some mushrooms and an onion. Sauté in a warm pan with a little oil, first the onion, the leek then the mushrooms until all is softened. Meanwhile, place dethawed pastry tartlets in a muffin tin. Place leek mixture into tartlets by the spoonful, not too full. Add a little cream to each tart and cover with a little grated cheese; bake in a preheated 375 oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly.
19. Peel or clean an English cucumber. Slice into rounds, not too thick or thin. On the cutting board, season each side with salt and pepper. Arrange cucumber rounds onto a plate and eat as a veggie side.
20. Preheat the oven to 375. Clean and chop the ends off of two small zucchinis. Slice in half. Salt and pepper the top. Crumb some feta or goat cheese and add on top of the zucchini halves, add a dash of hot sauce if you like. Place in a square baking dish and bake until soft and the cheese is a little golden, about 10-15 min. Serve on the side.
21. Take a ripened avocado and slice in half, twist apart. With a quick thrust with a butchers knife, hit the pit, turn to the side and pull it out. Now, very quickly, use a spoon and go around the entire edge of the avocado to scoop it out in one piece. On a cutting board, chop it up into cubes and put into a dish. Quickly douse it with the juice from one lime. Add salt and pepper and some freshly chopped coriander, toss together for a side salad.
22. Open a can of lentils, drain and wash well. Add to a bowl. Chop up some fresh coriander and  two chopped tomatoes, add to bowl with lentils. Sprinkle with a little thinly chopped onion and garlic, the juice from a lemon, pepper, and some Parmesan cheese. Toss together and put in the fridge for a couple of hours beforehand.
23. Heat up two cups of vegetable or chicken stock in the microwave until boiling. Once done, add one cup of couscous, let set for five min. Meanwhile, chop up some dried apricots and fresh coriander. Have some chopped walnuts and raisins ready, along with a chopped fresh tomato and a little olive oil. Once the couscous is ready, add all of this and fluff. Add salt and pepper.
24. Québécois mashed potatoes: Peel and chop up 2 or 3 large potatoes, 2 or 3 large carrots, 2 parsnips and half of a turnip. Add to a pot with enough chicken stock or vegetable stock to cover (Or, mix the stock with water so that you don’t use so much of it). Boil and cook until fork tender, like normal with potatoes, but make sure that it’s the turnip that’s cooked. Once done, drain off some of the stock, using some for natural liquid when mashing. Add salt and/or pepper if desired, perhaps a little sour cream if you want. Serve on the side. 
25. Heat up a skillet over medium heat and chop up an onion, a box of mushrooms and some cleaned spinach. Saute onion and mushrooms with a pat of butter until the mushrooms have shrunken (6 minutes) then add the spinach. Add a little hot sauce if desired then serve.

30 healthy desserts

I love desserts but I want to know that it is good for me. Don't get me wrong, I like a slice of cheesecake but I don't want to eat it every day. My hips would not thank me for that! So, here are some of the desserts that we eat on a regular basis.

1. Wash a bunch of red or green grapes, pick out any that are rotten or too brown. Pick off the vine and put into serving size containers. Cover and freeze. Take out when you want a snack.
2. Add some fresh raspberries to a serving-size bowl. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top and add a spoonful of honey. Toss (GENTLY) with a spoon until mixed. Serve.
3. Add some fresh blueberries to a serving-size bowl. Sprinkle with some chopped pecans. Meanwhile, in a small container, mix one tablespoon of honey with a sprinkle of lime juice. Stir until watery then pour over blueberries. Toss gently with a spoon and eat.
4. Cut up a fresh pineapple and chop into cubes. Add some dried cranberries and a handful of walnuts. Drizzle with a little maple syrup and stir together. (note, don’t worry if the fresh pineapple is brown after a day, its like an apple; worry only if it’s brown when you cut it).
5. Add some chopped apricots and raisins to a bowl with a shot of dark Rum and some brown sugar, set aside to plump up. Meanwhile, sauté some chopped pear. Add rum apricot mixture to the pear and toss with some chopped shelled pistachios. Add to a flour tortilla with a little cinnamon sprinkled overtop, wrap up and eat. Add to pan to brown on all sides if desired to crisp it up.
6. Cut up a fresh pineapple and chop into cubes, immediately toss with a little lime juice. Peel and chop a kiwi into wedges, and peel and seed a papaya then chop into cubes. Add all to a bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together enough honey and lime for a dressing to suit the quantity. Pour over top of fruit, add some chopped peeled pistachios and a little unsweetened coconut. Toss and eat!
7. Heat up a skillet; once warm, add about 1 to 2 cups of balsamic vinegar, depending on the amount of fruit along with 2 tbsp of honey. On stove, let simmer down until reduced to one quarter and syrupy. Meanwhile, wash some fresh strawberries, hull and cut into wedges. Place into serving sized bowls. When balsamic reduction is ready pour a little into each bowl as a dressing for the fruit.
8. Cut ¼ cup cleaned fresh cherries into half and discard pit and stem: don’t worry if it’s in pieces, you’re only going to eat it. Put halves into a small bowl, add ¼ cup of a nutty granola. Stir together, add honey if desired.
9. Peel a banana and shove a popsicle stick up one end. If it’s a rather large banana, cut in two and shove the popsicle stick up either end. Freeze in the freezer for a couple of hours. Meanwhile, three hours later, heat up some chocolate syrup or chocolate chips, carefully, in a glass or metal bowl over boiling water while stirring (a double boiler). When chocolate has melted, dip the banana into it, let cool and harden. Stick back in the freezer for chocolate pops! (Ok, I know this one takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth it in the end)
10. Grease a purex baking dish. Add 2 cups of fresh washed blueberries. Wash 4 firm nectarines, cut in half and take out pit. Slice into wedges and add to baking dish. Add dollops of sour cream on top. Meanwhile, in another bowl add about ½ cup of brown sugar and 1 ½ cups chopped pecans. Mix together and sprinkle on top of fruit mixture. Bake in 375 degree oven for about 30-45 min, until done.
11. Take a large handful of red and of green seedless grapes, wash them. Add to a bowl. Core and chop up an apple, add to bowl and quickly add the juice of half a lime. Peel 2 or 3 clementines, take off most of the white and any pits, and add to bowl. Peel and chop up a banana as well and add to bowl. Meanwhile, in another bowl add 2 shots of a nice tawny Port, 2 spoonfuls of liquid honey, the juice of the other half of a lime and a little cinnamon. Mix together, add to fruit salad, let set and eat when you want it.
12. Preheat a grill (George Foreman or a real BBQ) to medium, or turn it on. Cut the top and bottom off of a fresh pineapple, then cut down the middle. Cut into slices, rind and all. Meanwhile, in another bowl, prepare equal parts of lime juice and honey, if desired. Brush onto slices of pineapple then place on grill, about 3 min per side or until you see definite brown char marks. Once, there are marks on both sides, serve!
13. Clean an apple, core it. Chop into slices (chop smaller into pieces if you like) and add to a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the juice of half a lemon, a tablespoon of honey, a little cinnamon, and a little bit of cardamom. Add syrup to the apple, mix up. Take a piece of candied ginger, two if you like it spicy, and chop fine with a hot knife and add, mix together. Eat!
14. Clean a pear, core it. Cut into slices and dip into chocolate sauce. This works with peeled kiwi as well, or any fruit for that matter.
15. Peel an apple and core it. Cut into rings, sprinkle with some lemon juice. Meanwhile, heat up a skillet with some butter. Add the apple rings once the butter has melted and stir fry for 4 min until golden and tender and put in a plate. To the same wok, add some finely ground almonds and brown sugar and let brown a little bit while stirring constantly; sprinkle on top of the apples when done and serve.
16. Cut a croissant from the larger end into the middle, but not into two halves. In the pocket, spread on some ricotta cheese and your favorite kind of jam like strawberry, blueberry, raspberry or marmalade. Close the pocket and grill, while pressing down lightly, on a hot grill for 2-3 min per side.
17. Cut a papaya in half and scrape out the seeds. In a small bowl mix some melted butter, brown sugar, a little ground ginger and dark Rum then brush it on to the papaya. Grill, fruit side down on a grill until grill marks ensue or bake in the oven for 20 min at the most, until golden and soft. This can be done with nectarines, mango slices, pineapple and other fruits as well.
18. Take a cleaned firm nectarine and cut in half, take out the pit. Fill the cavity with marscapone cheese then sprinkle with some crushed gingersnap cookies. Place on a grill for 3-5 min or until they are hot and the cheese starts to melt.
19. Make a fruit salad with some apples and raspberries. Sprinkle with some lemon juice and a little brown sugar and a drop or two of rosewater or orange blossom water.
20. Clean some peaches, take the skin off by blanching the fruit if desired. Cut in half, take out the pit, then cut into slices. Heat up a skillet with some butter until it begin to brown. Add some brown sugar, the peaches and a shot of Bourbon, turn up the heat (beware of flames!!) and cook until the peaches are soft. Remove to a dish and sprinkle with whole raw pecans.
21. Add ¼ cup of Greek yogurt to a small bowl. Meanwhile, take a can of apricot halves in juice and drain off the juice. Place the apricots in a blender and add a shot of Grand Marnier. Blend together until smooth. Add ¼ cup of the blended apricots to the bowl then top with chopped pecans.
22. If you have a variety of melons around, make use of them! Cut a cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon in half, seed them. Go nuts with a melon baller and add the balls to a bowl in a variety of colors. In a separate bowl, mix together a shot of Grand Marnier with 1/4 tsp orange blossom water per serving. Add to the melon and mix lightly.
23. Chop up some pineapple into bite-sized pieces and clean a handful of hulled strawberries, then chop up into pieces of the same size. Toss in 1 tbsp maple syrup per serving. Mix, add to fruit and let merry in the fridge. (In other words, make this before preparing supper).
24. If you are in the mood for something a little different, take a cantaloupe, peel it and seed it. Cut into large wedges. Brush with a melted butter and honey mixture and place on the grill until char marks ensue on either side. Meanwhile, chop up a handful of cleaned fresh basil leaves. When the wedges are finished, chop into smaller pieces, sprinkle with the basil and serve.
25. Preheat the oven to 350 or 400 if you want it to go faster. Take an apple, or as many needed, and cut the top off. Cut out the stem and with a spoon or melon baller removed all of the seeds and some of the inside of the apple. In the cavity add a pat of butter and a spoonful of brown sugar, along with a sprinkling of your favorite spice like cinnamon, nutmeg or cardamom. Put the top back on the apple and bake until soft, about 35 to 45 min depending on the temperature
26. Preheat the oven to 350. In a bowl, whisk 2 egg whites, a splash of vanilla, a pinch of your favorite spice like nutmeg (or cinnamon) with a splash of lemon zest, half a cup of sugar,  and 1 ½ cups of unsweetened shredded coconut. Mix until well coated. Form into balls and place on a greased cookie sheet in balls. Bake until golden brown, about 15 min (when they are firm but still soft in the middle). Be careful in removing them from the tray, they will only be crumbly for the first 20 min.
27. Cut up a fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized cubes. Add to a bowl. Meanwhile, in a blender, throw in a few handfuls of cilantro leaves along with half a cup of sugar until it is a gritty green paste, like pesto. Toss the pineapple with the cilantro sugar and sprinkle with some unsweetened shredded coconut.
28. Take some pudding cups, whether it’s the packaged Jell-O pudding that you’ve made or a Hunt pudding cup, and stick it in the freezer. Wait for about four to five hours and eat one. It’s just like ice cream and so much healthier, especially if it’s the packaged jell-o one in fat free that you’ve made with skim milk.
29. In a bowl add some of your favorite frozen berries. Add a little maple syrup and some lemon zest and toss together. Top with some prepared whipped cream, whether you have made it with cream, dream whip, or the canned stuff…or, you can leave it out!
30. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ tsp of these ingredients: salt, pepper, ground cayenne, ground ginger, and ground cinnamon. In another bowl add 3 tbsps of maple syrup. Heat up a skillet and toast 2 cups of whole walnuts, constantly turning them for five minutes, or until they are hot. Immediately add to bowl with maple syrup then stir in the spice mixture. Coat all of the nuts and then spread out on a baking sheet in one layer until cool, about 20 min.

10 tablespoons of sugar

I used to be a pop (soda for you Americans) addict. Ever since I was a child I begged my mom to get a bottle of pop with the groceries which I almost single-handedly finished in two days -- when I was 10. Not surprisingly, by the time that I was 13 years old I was a size 14. I thought that it was due to puberty but now that I think about it, I didn't stop drinking pop.

I used to drink pop when I felt sad. I drank it instead of water and I drank it so much that I used to get cravings. I have to admit that I am still fighting it because sometimes water just doesn't do. I need the bubbles and the flavor.

What changed? Four words: 10 tablespoons of sugar (or, 30 teaspoons of sugar). I heard that there were 10 tablespoons of sugar in one can of pop. At first, being a dire pop addict, this didn't bother me until I decided to actually measure that out. No one sits and spoons 10 tablespoons of sugar into their mouth in one sitting but we do drink pop.

But what does 10 tablespoons of sugar look like?

THAT is 10 tablespoons of sugar in a 125 mL jam jar. That is almost 1/4 cup of pure, white sugar in one 355 mL can of pop. I took this picture on May 28, 2011 and I swore that I would never drink pop again. I have to admit that I haven't kept that promise to the best of my abilities but just looking at this picture again gives me motivation to stop for good. Are you going to join me?

Here is my plan for stopping drinking soft drinks forever:

Motivation:

• Soft drinks rot your teeth and give you more cavities. They also make your teeth softer and dissolve the tooth enamel. You may eventually lose your teeth, need crowns or have pockets.
• See the Nutrition Diva's podcasts on how sugar affects your body, high fructose corn syrup, and how to reduce your added sugar intake.
• If you stop drinking pop and you switch to water, you will most likely loose weight without realizing it. Pop or soda has calories, water does not.
• Soft drinks are empty calories. They add no value to your daily intake. They might not even keep you hydrated.
• If you switch to water, you will never wake up with dry mouth again. You won't have a burning feeling in the back of your throat either.
• Pop, especially colas, are acidic and they eat away at your stomach lining. Seriously, I had stomachs for years and it was only after I stopped drinking pop that I realized that it could be the cause. 
• The sugar intake in pop raises your blood sugar within 40 minutes. If this is all that you drink, you are heading towards diabetes. Seriously, do a blood glucose test if you are concerned about this.

Action Plan:

• Stop drinking pop for one day and drink water. The first day is the hardest.
• Drink cold water as it is more refreshing. Don't drink lukewarm water as you will most likely spit it back out.
• Pick water every time that you are in a restaurant situation with a choice of drinks.
• If you are absolutely obsessed with pop, try to only drink it one day per week. This could be every Friday or every Monday. Try this for one month. 
• Add flavoring to water if you need something extra like Crystal Light, or liquid water flavorings. Not too much though, just enough to give it some taste. 
• Once you are more used to drinking water, try drinking it with a slice of lemon or lime in it. 
• If you need bubbles, try drinking carbonated mineral water with a splash of 100% fruit juice.  
• Once you are getting enough water, make sure that you are also getting your milk intake too. 2-3 glasses of milk, 5 of water and you should be good for the day. 
• Try recording your water intake on a chart or with an iPod app like Lose It!. It keeps you focused.

Getting 5 per day

I am on a mission to get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Perhaps you are too? Well, I did some research with the help of the Nutrition Diva and her podcast on how to get 5 per day. Here is a sample menu from what I could come up with:

5 Servings Per Day

Breakfast: 

• Eat 1 apple, cut into slices, along with breakfast.

Snack:

• Eat 1 cup carrot sticks with 4 tbsp hummus.

Lunch:

• Have a 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for lunch. This could be a small garden salad or the side of leftover green beans from supper last night.

Snack:

• Eat 1 orange, clementine or mandarin. If the clementine is small, eat 2.

Supper:

• Have 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for supper.

Well, that was easy, wasn't it? I have to admit though: I am an overachiever. The Canada food pyramid recommends that you get 4-5 servings of vegetables and 3-4 servings of fruit per day which puts you at 7-9 servings per day. That seems like a lot but let's add that up:

7-9 Servings Per Day

Breakfast: 

• Add 1/2 cup thawed, cooked spinach to scrambled eggs with 2 tbsp feta cheese.
• Eat 1 apple, cut into slices, along with breakfast.

Snack:

• Eat 1 cup carrot sticks with 4 tbsp hummus.

Lunch:

• Have a 1 cup vegetables with whatever you have for lunch. This could be a small garden salad or the side of leftover green beans from supper last night.
• Have a fruit salad for dessert with 2 tbsp Greek honey yogurt.

Snack:

• Eat 1 orange, clementine or mandarin. If the clementine is small, eat 2.

Supper:

• Have 2 cup vegetables with whatever you have for supper. This could be mashed potatoes and sauteed mushrooms, or a vegetable stir-fry on the side.
• Have a tropical fruit salad for dessert (kiwi, mango, pineapple) with honey-lime dressing.

Hmmm, that wasn't very hard either. But that's only one day. We can't all eat that one meal plan every day, can we? We need some variety. What are some other ideas?

Creating Variety

Breakfast: 

Fruit:

• Have a yogurt parfait with 1 cut peach and 1/2 cup blueberries and yogurt. Try also 1 cup varied berries or just one fruit that you really like.
• Try 1 sliced banana and peanut butter on whole grain toast. If you don't like the peanut butter and banana combination, try Nutella or another kind of nut butter like almond or cashew butter.
• Have an orange, clementine or mandarin on the side.
• Have half a grapefruit on the side. You could even broil it with some sugar and cinnamon in this recipe.
• Make a fruit syrup and add to pancakes with some fruit. For example, make a maple blueberry syrup served with fresh blueberries on (or in) the pancakes.
• Have a 1 cup serving 100% fruit juice like apple, orange, grape or grapefruit.

Vegetables:

• Make an omelet with 1 cup chopped vegetables like peppers, mushrooms, onions or leeks.
• Have a side of sauteed vegetables with breakfast (mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, etc.). I am very fond of mushrooms on the side.
• Add 1/2 cup salsa to scrambled eggs with 2 tbsp sharp cheddar cheese. I could eat this every day!
• Make a breakfast casserole like this one or this one.

Snacks:

Fruit:

• Have a serving of whole fruit (apple, orange, banana, grapes, kiwi, etc.)
• Have a fruit salad.
• Try one of the above breakfast options.
• Have a serving of dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, kiwi, pineapple of blueberries. These usually have added sugar though and more calories.
• Try a fruit smoothie made with whole fruit and no added sugar.

Vegetables:

• Have a 1 cup serving of vegetable sticks (zucchini, celery, carrots, cucumber, etc.) with 2 tbsp of your favorite dip.
• Have a 1 cup serving of fresh, whole vegetables like cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas or radish slices.
• Have a 1 cup serving of a vegetable salad like a Greek pepper salad, apple-beet salad, or carrot salad.  

Lunch:

Fruit:

• Try any of the above options for fruit. 
• Have a slice of fruit pie that is low in sugar.
• Add 1 serving of fruit to your spinach or garden salad.
• If it's summer, try grilling the fruit before having it for dessert or adding it to the meal.

Vegetables:

• Add a 1 cup serving of a vegetable salad to your lunch. This could be a marinated vegetable salad or a green salad with veggie toppings.
• Add a 1 or 2 cup serving of vegetable soup to your lunch. Bonus points of that soup is a pureed vegetable soup from home.
• Have 1 cup of leftover veggies from last night to heat up. 
• Have cut raw veggies and dip on the side.

Supper:

Fruit:

• Try any of the above options for fruit.
• Try a fruit crisp for dessert.
• Try a whole-fruit pie for dessert (cherry, blueberry, strawberry and rhubarb, pumpkin, etc.). Perhaps it's a good idea though to cut down on the sugar and crust.
• Have a fruit sauce with your meal like applesauce on pork or a fruit salsa with chicken.
• Add fruit to your salad. 

Vegetables:

• Try any of the above options for vegetables.
• Switch a serving of the starch (pasta, potatoes, rice) with another serving of vegetables. If you are having spaghetti, try your sauce on spaghetti squash. Try roasted squash and peas on the side instead of mashed potatoes and peas. 
• Have a side salad with your meal. Reduce the portion of pasta that is served to have a salad on the side, for example, of serve a salad with steak. 
• Try roasting vegetables with salt, pepper and a spice of choice (like dried basil, oregano or cumin). 
• Try braising vegetables (like you do for a stew) in a thick chicken or beef broth and serve as is over meat.
• Try serving the meal with a side of cooked veggies and a side of raw veggies, like cooked peas and raw carrots with chicken or steak.

10 Modern Habits I Want to Stop

I have been thinking a lot lately about older generations versus our generation. We seem to be lazy and addicted to technology versus past generations that worked 16 hour days (mom, dad and child in some cases) to make enough money to run a house. I’m not going to work 16 hour days but I think that I am guilty of some lazy habits that I don’t necessarily need.

1.   Watching TV while playing on the computer: I really am doing something important on the computer. Really. But, why is the TV on while I do it? I don’t know. Maybe if I turn it off I won’t notice any difference in my habits.

2.   Listening to my iPod 24/7: I am completely guilty of listening to my iPod on the bus and at work – all day. That’s an average of 9-10 hours per day. I plan on using it on the bus but trying to wean myself off of it at work.

3.   Not eating at the table: Once I hit university, I ate supper wherever I was sitting. This could have been at my desk while studying or in front of the TV. We really have to eat at the table – with no TV in the background as well.

4.   Drinking sugary beverages: I too am guilty of drinking WAY too much pop. I have been drinking water instead of these sugary beverages and I have already lost 10 lbs (bonus!). I feel better too. It’s strange to say that I could have been addicted to these drinks, but I think after awhile this is true.

5.   Texting during the day: I have to admit, I don’t text much. I prefer one action-packed phone call to texting back and forth. If I text, it will be a short message like “bus stuck in traffic, will be late” that I don’t want to get on the phone for.

6.   Complaining about traffic: I think that it’s stupid to complain about traffic because I made the choice to go home during rush hour. I actually adjusted my work schedule so that I only hit the beginning of rush hour but still, traffic builds up on Mackenzie King Bridge. However, there is one ultimate truth when it comes to traffic – complaining about it won’t make it go faster.

7.   Taking work home with me: this is one that I thought would never happen – that is, until I started really caring about work. I enjoy my work and my workplace. But, I have to implement one absolute rule: work is at work, work ends at the same time every day, and home is at home.

8.   Being overweight: I am guilty of this and I admit that I am not the size that I would like to be but I am comfortable with where I am. I really should lose weight though and I have to make better friends with our treadmill. It’s not a question of if I want to or not, it’s a question of my long-term health and the habits that I want to carry on to my children.

9.   Making excuses and procrastinating: if you think about, this has always existed but in the past generations, work got done or you didn’t get paid or you didn’t eat. Our generation tends to take on more work whether we can do it or not then we procrastinate when it comes time to get it done. This year, I am trying a new goal: get things done. Now.

10. Everything is disposable: at least, it seems that way. Our landfills are not thanking us for this habit so this year I have waged war on disposable waste. This means changing my mind about certain things (ex. Tissues versus. Cloth napkins) but it is working.

How I lost 55 lbs

So, as I mentioned in my post about remodeling a Bridesmaid's dress, I have lost 55 lbs over the past few years. This seems to be a hot topic with everyone so I decided to share how I did it.

It actually happened in phases over a few years. I had to make gradual changes that would stick then I built on them.

Phase 1

• Realize that I have to lose weight.
• Stop buying junk that I don't need to eat: pop, candy, chips, etc.
• Eat a piece of fresh fruit for dessert.
• Stop snacking. Ask myself if I am really hungry.
• Drink water instead of pop.

After phase 1, I lost nearly 30 pounds. It happened VERY quickly, that is, over the span of 5 months or so. It felt like I had done nothing yet I was loosing weight which was great. Then, when the scale started to plateau, I made the next set of changes:

Phase 2

• Start a walk/run program on a treadmill for 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week.
• Start lifting light weights.
• Eat more vegetables.
• Eat more protein and less carbs (so pasta nights are only on Fridays and no other time during the week). This means that leftover chicken dipped in BBQ sauce becomes a snack instead of crackers, bread or leftover rice.
• Monitor my sugar intake.
• Stop emotional eating. If I am sad or angry about something, write it down or listen to music instead of eating.
• Continue doing everything else above, most notably drinking more water.

After phase 2, the scale started moving again and I lost 25 pounds within a year. Not only that, but my clothes seemed to fit differently now. The scale wasn't moving quite as fast but my clothes were loose. I couldn't figure it out until I realized that I had gained muscle from the walk/run program on the treadmill. It took so long for this phase because my weight seemed to go up and down so I had to constantly lose 5 pounds that I had put on during holidays or trips. Now I am working on phase 3.

Phase 3

• Do a walk/run program for 45 minutes, 3 times per week, until I can run for 30-45 minutes at a time. 
• Do a calisthenics workout (mine is on our Wii) for 40 minutes, 2 times per week.
• Walk to locations whenever possible. For me, this means taking the bus less, walking home from the bus stop every day and walking to and from the grocery store.
• Eat more vegetables and less carbs. So, instead of mashed potatoes with supper, eat two vegetables instead.
• Eat fruit or other real food for snacks and desserts.
• Phase into Clean Eating so that each snack has protein and/or fibre. I really like their menus.
• Again, continue doing everything else including drinking more water.

With these steps, I hope to loose another 20 pounds. That would be the weight that I have been carrying since high school and I don't know how successful I will be as I can already feel my ribs right now. But, if I only end up losing 10 pounds I can continue living like this and I know that this is a healthy lifestyle.

25 Easy Vegetable Sides

These are some of my favorite fast vegetable sides on the planet. The inspiration from here might have come from magazines or cooking shows but I have tested it all and it's great!

1. Heat up a skillet with a little oil. When warm, add some chopped bacon. Stir fry until crisping up, drain off a little fat if desired. Add chopped cleaned broccoli and stir fry until broccoli becomes bright green. Serve with rice. This can be done with green beans, Brussels sprouts, chopped nappa cabbage, peas or spinach as well.
2. Chop 3 onions into thin slices and a box of mushrooms into quarters. Add to a warm skillet with a little oil and sauté down until reduced in size by half, about 15 to 20 min. Add as a side to steak and rice, or potatoes.
3. Take four onions. Peel off the skin, cut off the hairy ends. Set all four onions (whole) in a purex baking dish. Brush with BBQ sauce then roast in an oven at 375 degrees for 45 min to one hour, or until soft. Serve with steak or grilled chicken.
4. Clean off three large potatoes (peel if desired). Cut into wedges (or thinner for fries). Toss in a bowl with a little oil and a variety of spices, from chili powder to thyme and basil. Add salt and pepper. Lay in one layer on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 min, shaking and stirring at least once, until golden brown.
5. Sliver some cabbage and add to a warm skillet with a little oil. Stir fry and add some hot sauce. This only takes five mins at the most, when the cabbage is limp, it’s done.
6. Sauté some slivered nappa cabbage in a hot skillet with a little rice wine vinegar, hoisin sauce or soy sauce until done (about 15-20 minutes).
7. Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Cut an acorn squash in half, clean out seeds. Season with salt and pepper and add spoonfuls of applesauce. Add a little cheez whiz or grated cheese on top if desired. Roast covered with aluminum foil for 45 min to an hour, or until soft with pierced with a fork.
8. Peel and chop a cucumber into rounds and add to a bowl. In a separate bowl, add some miracle whip, a little vinegar and a little sugar, enough to create a watery sauce. Season with salt and pepper, let set for at least 6 hours before serving.
9. Cut a butternut squash in half. Peel with a vegetable peeler (it’s easier) and scoop out seeds. Add flesh to a roasting dish. Toss with a little oil, salt, pepper and roast in the oven at 350 until fork tender, about 30-45 min. When done, toss with a chopped fresh herb before serving, like basil or coriander. This is great with potatoes, sweet potatoes or yams as well.
10. Chop up some fresh, cleaned spinach and add to a saute pan on medium. Add a little chicken stock if necessary and saute until the spinach has wilted. Toss with chopped sun-dried tomatoes and serve.
11. Chop up some peeled carrot and peeled turnip. Add to a pot and simmer with enough chicken stock to cover with a little extra. Add a clove of peeled garlic too. Once fork tender, purée in a blender and season if necessary.
12. Clean four hot house tomatoes. Finely chop up some onions, bacon, mushrooms and green pepper and add to a skillet to reduce it down. In another bowl, mix some of your fav shredded cheese with some bread crumbs of finely chopped nuts. While the onion mixture is reducing, cut the tops off of the tomatoes and gut them so that you can stuff them. Once the onion mixture is ready, stuff the tomatoes and top with the cheese and bread crumbs. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-45 min or until the bread crumbs and cheese are golden brown.
13. Open two cans of sliced beets and drain. Cube on a chopping board. On a separate board, chop up pieces of bacon or pancetta. Heat up a skillet, add the bacon or pancetta first and let it cook down. Once browned, add the chopped beets and sauté. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice and a dash of chopped rosemary. Serve once all is tender and the bacon is crisp.
14. Chop and clean some fresh spinach and slice a box of mushrooms and an onion. Add onion to a saute pan on medium and saute for two minutes then add the mushrooms. Saute for 5 minutes or until the mushrooms shrink then add the spinach. Saute until the spinach wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve. This is also great with spicy cooked shrimp served on top.
15. Cook some frozen peas in water until they are done, usually 5 min after the boiling point. Drain and toss with some sour cream and freshly chopped mint or coriander. This also works great with green beans, Brussels sprouts and broccoli.
16. Clean off four large portobella mushrooms with a paper towel and remove the stem. Meanwhile, chop up two Italian tomatoes, some black olives, some fresh spinach and some feta cheese. Add all of these ingredients to a bowl and toss with fresh bread crumbs or finely chopped walnuts. Stuff mixture into mushroom cavity, bake in preheated 375 oven until the top is brown and the mushrooms have shrunken a little in size, about 20 minutes.
17. Chop off the frizzy top of a fennel and the stump off the bottom. Slice in half, then cut into ½” slices. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat up a skillet and spray with Pam or add butter to melt down. When hot, place in the slices of fennel in one layer and let sear down. This takes about 6 min per side and it’s done once the core of the fennel is softened.
18. Chop off the hairy end and dark green parts of the leek. Clean, half and chop into small pieces. Clean and chop up some mushrooms and an onion. Sauté in a warm pan with a little oil, first the onion, the leek then the mushrooms until all is softened. Meanwhile, place dethawed pastry tartlets in a muffin tin. Place leek mixture into tartlets by the spoonful, not too full. Add a little cream to each tart and cover with a little grated cheese; bake in a preheated 375 oven until the cheese is gold and bubbly.
19. Peel or clean a cucumber. Slice into rounds, not too thick or thin. On the cutting board, season each side with salt and pepper. Arrange cucumber rounds onto a plate and eat as a veggie side.
20. Clean a head of collard greens and cut the stems off. Add to a pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce and boil for another 5 minutes or until the leaves have wilted. Drain and toss with salt and pepper. Serve.
21. Preheat the oven to 375. Clean and chop the ends off of two small zucchinis. Slice in half and slice a little bit off of the skin on the bottom so that it sits upright with the cut end facing you. Salt and pepper the top. Crumb some feta or goat cheese and add on top of the zucchini halves, add a dash of hot red pepper flakes if you like. Place in a square baking dish and bake until soft and the cheese is a little golden, about 10-15 min. Serve on the side.
22. Take a ripened avocado and slice in half, twist apart. With a quick thrust with the bottom edge butchers knife, hit the pit, turn to the side and pull it out. Use a spoon and go around the entire edge of the avocado to scoop it from the skin. On a cutting board, chop it up into cubes and put into a small dish. Quickly douse it with the fresh juice from one lime. Add salt and pepper and some freshly chopped coriander, toss together for a side salad.
23. Peel and chop up 2 or 3 large potatoes, 2 or 3 large carrots, 2 parsnips and half of a turnip. Add to a pot with enough chicken stock or vegetable stock to cover (Or, mix the stock with water so that you don’t use so much of it). Boil and cook until fork tender, like normal with potatoes, but make sure that it’s the turnip that’s cooked. Once done, drain off some of the stock, using some for natural liquid when mashing. Add pepper or more salt if desired, perhaps a little sour cream if you want. Serve on the side.
24. Clean 2 heads of fresh broccoli and pull the leaves off. Chop up the stems then the heads into slivers and add to a bowl. Julienne a peeled carrot and 1/2 peeled, seeded cucumber and add to the bowl. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 1/2 tbsp liquid honey and 2 tbsp wine vinegar and stir together with a fork. Add 1/4 cup sour cream and 2 pinches of paprika, combine again then pour over the broccoli slaw. Mix together then serve.
25. Open 2 cans of beets and drain, add to a medium-sized bowl. Core and chop up two large Granny Smith apples and add to the beets. In a small bowl, combine 3 tbsp white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp Dijon mustard and 1 tbsp liquid honey with a fork. Add to beet mixture and toss together. Let sit for a few hours or overnight.

Quick and Delicious Tortellini Soup

I made this soup the other day and I totally love it! I used reduced sodium broth and tomatoes for this but I dare you to taste it once it's done before using salt.

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 3-4 carrots, peeled, halved and chopped (ends cut off)
• 4-5 ribs of celery, washed, halved and chopped
• 1 medium zucchini, washed, quartered and chopped (ends cut off)
• 2 900 mL cartons sodium-reduced chicken broth
• 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes (I use Unico, no salt added)
• 1 454g bag cheese-stuffed tortellini, dethawed
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp dried oregano leaves

Instructions:
Saute the onions in a Dutch oven pot (or a large soup pot) over medium-high heat, adding a little chicken broth whenever necessary to prevent the onions from burning. Once onions have softened, add carrots and celery. Saute, adding broth, for another 5-7 minutes to soften. Add zucchini, chicken broth and diced tomatoes then bring to a boil. Add tortellini then reduce to medium. Add chili powder and oregano then stir. Let cook for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste before adding salt. Serve. Makes 8 servings.

Total time: 10 minutes to chop vegetables, 20 minutes to cook

Ideas:

• This is a great way to use up carrots and celery before going grocery shopping. 
• I bet this would be good with beef tortellini too.
• Other vegetables to try are artichokes, broccoli, peas, corn, mushrooms, red or green peppers. 
• Other add-ins could include pesto, chopped sun-dried tomatoes or Parmesan cheese.