Balsamic Roasted Veggies

Last night I grilled chicken, made balsamic roasted vegetables (on the grill!), and black bean spaghetti. It was delicious!

Olivia is away at camp, and Sophia had leftover pizza, so dinner was a breeze. Andy spent the week with my brother in Conway while he was attending classes in Little Rock, so I was happy to make him dinner. I was excited to serve a non-picky-eater when I remembered Andrew doesn't like brussels sprouts!

DANG.

Just kidding! I decided to mix it up a little bit. Normally I roast them in the oven and serve them with red pepper, pine nuts, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and parmesan cheese. DELICIOUS! Only, its just the sprouts and I think that may be why Andy doesn't like them very much. Too sprout-y. haha! I made little tin foil packets and roasted them on the grill with different flavors and he really liked them!

Balsamic Roasted Vegetables

12 brussels sprouts, halved

1 cup sweet corn

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

crushed red pepper

sea salt

black pepper

local honey

Once you've halved your sprouts, peel off the first 2-3 layers from each, and lay everything on your tin foil. Roll up the edges of the foil to create a sort of "tray" to hold your liquids in. Add the drained corn, oil, and vinegar. Sprinkle with the spices to taste, and then drizzle the honey over the top (optional). Roast on the top rack of your grill for about 10 minutes, and then move to the bottom rack for 3 minutes, or until sprouts are desired level of "roasted," (I like mine pretty crispy). Once they're finished, you can drizzle with a bit more honey to make them sweeter if you wish.

With A Lime Twist

So, I've been playing around with my chickpea salad- although before my husband came home I was eating paleo so there weren't any chickpeas in my diet! EEEEEK I have been so bad since he's been home. And my Rachy has hooked me on ... beer. I have to take control of my life again!

This is the same chickpea salad- but with a lime twist (and I HATE LIME! but this is DELICIOUS).

You will need
1 can chickpeas drained & rinsed
1 english cucumber, peeled and diced
1 tomato, diced
cracked pepper
sea salt
6 key limes or 2 regular limes (juiced)
fresh cilantro to taste (I like a LOT)
1 tbsp olive oil

combine everything, and serve chilled or at room temp!

My PALEO version:
1 english cucumber, diced
1 tomato, diced
6 key limes, or 2 regular limes (juiced)
a lot of fresh cilantro
cracked pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

This is a new family favorite!

Hump Day

Welp, here we are. half way through (nearly) this project.

So far... it has been hard to get my dad to eat as much food as I would like him to. It is like pulling teeth to get the man to eat breakfast. Yesterday he came home from work with most of his salad still in the lunch box, and nearly all of his snacks still there. ugh.

This morning I left a threatening note on the coffee pot to try to get him to eat his food. He left his breakfast in the fridge.

His meals should have looked like this today (I've downsized his portions a little since he's not really eating as much as I want him to).

Breakfast: apple cinnamon chobani.

mid morning snack: nectarine

Lunch: tuna salad on a whole wheat pita, vegetable chips

mid afternoon snack: banana, raw almonds

Dinner: salad (lettuce, jalepenos, bell peppers, tomatoes, tapenade) with 2 turkey & quinoa muffins crumbled over the top.

Hopefully he does a little better today. I fear he is sneaking chips and/or chocolate.

Monday night I made grilled shrimp over wild rice with chickpea salad. He didn't really eat the rice or chickpeas... but he really enjoyed the shrimp.

Marinade recipe: honey, juice from 1/2 lemon, cracked pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar, cayenne pepper, minced garlic.

Day 1 {Project Shut Up & Eat}

Today is the first day of our project, and I am so excited! My dad started today off (Fathers' Day!) with a healthy breakfast... & hit the road for a bike ride with my mom (& a nectarine in his saddle bag for a mid-morning snack).

I am so excited to tell you guys today.. I am going back to school this fall! I plan to major in nutrition and find a job after graduation as a dietician. I also plan to become a certified personal trainer, and spend the rest of my life teaching others to be healthy! I have complete support from my family and close friends, and I am so thankful to have such caring people in my life.

My dad's menu for today:

Breakfast: 1 egg & 3 egg whites, scrambled with sautéed bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes with 1/4 grapefruit.

Mid morning snack: nectarine

Lunch: tuna salad in a whole wheat pita, cucumber slices

Afternoon snack: banana, raw almonds

Dinner: baked chicken, chickpea salad 

After I made my dad his breakfast this morning, he said... "What, I don't get any salt with this?" hahaha. This is going to be such a huge adjustment for him. I am proud that he is doing it! :)

Happy fathers day!

Goals {Project Shut Up & Eat}

When this project came to me, the only goal I really had was to see if I could trick my dad in to doing things MY way for a week. That was a quick victory because after only about 3 minutes of prodding, he agreed. That's when I decided maybe I could have more fun with this than I thought.

After thinking it over, I realized one of my primary goals is to show my dad that eating REAL food can be a delicious, filling, lovely thing. I'm a person that needs a meal to "stick to my ribs" to make me feel full. That is from years of eating processed food, huge "American" sized portions, and being told as a kid to eat everything on my plate (which I do tell to my kids, I say "make a happy plate!" but their food choices are a lot better than mine were when I was a kid). The temporary "full" feeling you get from processed foods becomes a comforting, familiar feeling. That is why, I think, it can be so intimidating to change your eating habits.

At first I was stressing about a few things. 1- the cost of healthy food. My parents still have two kids at home, teenage boys, that eat a LOT. They also have my niece Phoenix at home- she doesn't eat much but her diapers aren't cheap and either is baby formula. Oh... and with teenage boys comes their friends... they also eat a lot. 2- the availability of organic food. Then I started thinking.. baby steps. Let me get my dad to EAT vegetables and fruit. I'll find what I can organic (Walmart is really the only option for groceries, except the occasional little melon stand on the side of the road during the summer), and just let the habit form naturally. Who knows.. maybe I'll really change his attitude and he and my mom will grow their own small garden next year (ha, yeah, right).

Once I figured out my goals for this "project" ... I became a lot more excited. I mean, not only am I, the child, educating the parent- but I am also encouraging my dad to be healthy. And by him making the effort, who knows how much longer that could add on to his life. I try not to be a worrier, but that is something I worry about often- losing my loved ones.

I have been cooking a little while I'm at my dads (I have been bouncing around from my dad's to my grandparents' trying to visit everyone as much as possible). I thought I would try to get a quote from my dad for this blog post... but this random text message says way more than some prompted quote ever could. :)

Dirty Deets {project shut up & eat}

The deal on my dad: I'd say a typical day in the life of dad goes about like this.

• wake up, guzzle coffee
• fill thermos, kiss my  mom goodbye
• work work work
• whats that? lunch time? gotta grab a little debbie cake. maybe. if there's one in the seat of the dump truck/whatever vehicle he's driving for work that day
• work work work 
• go home.... work around the house, help my brothers do whatever, help babysit phoenix, work some more
• kiss my mom hello when she gets home
• work some more
• come in, drink a glass of sweet tea, munch on some ruffles chips while he tells mom he's starving
• eats whatever mom whips up (she's going to eat cereal).. grilled cheese, BLT, rotel, creamy tacos (barf)
• eat some roasted almonds or cashews, some more chips, watch tv, play a card game on his phone
• fall asleep in the recliner... before or after eating 7 or 8 mini candy bars
• get up, drink a glass of milk
• go to bed
• wake up, repeat

My dad is a pack-a-day smoker. Marlboro lights. Do you see why I want to make over his diet? As far as exercise goes, I will say that aside from walking to/from the house to the shop, and lifting/working on cars/trucks... my dad is pretty sedentary. He's a naturally thin man, always has been. I can't say he's never lightly active, but I guarantee you he's never just taking a walk for leisurely purposes. 

I am so PUMPED to start this project! :)

WOOHOO sprouts!

All day long, I have been craving brussel sprouts! That is *so* weird.. because I've only ever eaten them one other time in my life! And.. they were good, but not just oh so scrumptious, you know?

So tonight I decided to whip up my own sprout recipe, something a little more to my liking than the one I used before (I found it via Tone It Up!). I used pine nuts, just like the TIU recipe did, but I omitted a little and added a little. Bottom line: this is a SUPER easy peasy recipe and something that I really enjoyed!

You will need:
Brussel Sprouts, cut into quarters
Pepperoncini (I had to google how to spell that one) Peppers + some of their juice
Olive Oil (or try coconut oil for a little sweet/spicy taste!)
Crushed Red Pepper
Garlic Powder (or freshly chopped garlic- I was out!)
Raw Pine Nuts

Line a casserole dish with tin foil, spray with organic no stick spray. Then arrange your quartered sprouts and drizzle with 1tbsp (give or take) olive oil. Next, cut a tiny hole in your peppers and squeeze the juice over the sprouts (I also poured some from the jar onto my sprouts, I love the flavor!). Dice your peppers and sprinkle over the sprouts, seeds too. Then sprinkle the red pepper, pine nuts, and garlic over them as well. Bake on 350 for about 20 minutes (or 400 for 14ish minutes), then turn your oven on the highest broil setting for 2 minutes. This will make the sprouts a little crispy (you can skip that, if you don't like them crispy!).

I paired mine with baked chicken (Garlic Mrs. Dash, poppy seeds, chia seeds, balsamic vinegar & a tiny bit of olive oil) & a salad.

before baking (the kids half had no red pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese).

my delicious dinner!

day 3...

Oh, day three. You started off as *such* a great day.

And then.. it happened.

Tagalongs.
:(

I have to say, they tasted so good. And I felt soooooo guilty with every bite. But I couldn't stop! I don't know why. It was as though I was filling myself as quickly as I could with these little chocolate peanut buttery cookies.. because once they're gone, they're gone, until next year.

AND NEXT YEAR I WON'T BE BUYING ANY. So there.
I am the troop mom for my daughter. I have had 20+ cases of cookies go through my house and car in the last week. I bought one box of each when we were pre-ordering to help support O, and my plan was to mail them to my husband in Iraq. Only the regulations changed and he can't receive anything over a certain weight, ie, paper mail only.. pretty much.

I hate cookies. I love eating healthy. I LOVE putting good fuel into my body. I know (and I probably should not say this as a girl scout AND troop mom) that girl scout cookies are complete CRAP. WHY would anyone want to put what is in a girl scout cookie (or oreo, chips ahoy, any mass-produced cookie!) into their body? Three reasons: 1.) They're uninformed. I like to think the best of people and assume this is why people freak over GS cookies (or any processed junk!). 2.) They're like me and not quite able to control the bingeing that happens from time to time.. old habits die hard. 3.) They KNOW and they are just lazy and don't care. I have a hard time sympathizing with all of these reasons. Here's why.

Reason number one: being uninformed. We live in the most technologically advanced time ever! Google knows *everything* (believe me, EVERYTHING), and if you want to know about food and the benefits of fueling your body properly, the information IS out there. The sad part is that most people don't even realize that they are eating total crap. No one has ever told them about it, they might not even know there is a different way of life. I mean, lets face it, the media isn't exactly trying to push the complete facts and no matter how many big companies are "fighting obesity" or "adding a healthy twist to the kids' meal & dollar menu"... its all still garbage. Think of all the people out there thinking they're doing something awesome by ordering oatmeal instead of a breakfast burrito meal at McDonald's in the mornings. Or the people that are buying "98% fat free" everything and slowly poisoning themselves and the family they feed! Bottom line: if it has an ingredient list, don't eat it. Real food doesn't HAVE ingredients. It comes from the earth.

Reason number two: Me. Making an excuse. Lack of self control. Loathing of something in their personal life. Being educated on the matter of food, chemicals, and proper self-care... but that one little emotional trigger sets you back. I don't think I have ever fully disclosed my story on this blog, but I suffered from an eating disorder and severe self-image problems from 18 years old (I weighed in the 150s when I graduated high school in May of 2002.. closer to 160. The real problems started after I moved to Virginia that August.. and by the end of Sept/early Nov I was below 110) .. until I found out I was pregnant with my daughter O. I had her 2 weeks before I turned 20 (at 162lbs- June 12 2004) and I was right back on the wagon.. chomping phentermine and only eating once every 2-3 days (back to 110ish by mid July). Before I got pregnant with her it was the worst- eating rarely (once every 2-4 days, drinking TONS of diet coke and coffee to keep "energized"), doubling phentermine doses, being proud of all my clothes being way too big and fitting into a size 1 or 3. I didn't even know I was pregnant until I got the flu and had to go to the doctor because I hadn't had a period in so long due to not eating. Anyway. Thats super personal and not any part of my life that I'm proud of. I grew up so worried about body image- my mom had her own body image problems and I always just thought that struggle was normal. Thats why the junk food gets to me. Because in a way, bingeing is comfortable. And it also makes me feel full. And after all these years.. and those 2-3 years of being hungry and taking "prescription by mail" diet drugs... feeling full feels safe. I hate it. And that is why eating healthy has become so important to me. Because I have two amazing, brilliant daughters and I always want them to feel like know that they are wonderful.

Reason number three: People know the benefits of healthy eating and exercise, but continue to eat crap anyway because they are L A Z Y. Some have the "I'll start tomorrow" attitude and some have the "I'll be naturally skinny forever because I have a high metabolism" attitude... and some think "I'm already a whale why try to change?"

Maybe some have health issues (thyroid?) but I know they can be treated and the issues overcome with the proper medical attention (Just look at Beth! She is down 80+lbs and I am so proud of her!). I sometimes hear people conversing in public about dieting (usually fad diets!) and I want to sit down with them and explain to them how they can be healthy. How they can change AND enjoy it. And then I am sure they would look at me like I was a freak and ask me, the intruding stranger, to leave their table. :) So, I don't but-in to their convos. But I want to.

I am not in any way the perfect eater (didn't I just confess to a Girl Scout cookie binge, right here, for everyone to see?!), and I am no where near being in perfect shape. But I am working on it. Every single day, I am working. I might not always make it to the gym (Hey, what *practically* single mom of two controls her whole world? If you find her, introduce us!), and I might not always make the 100% best food choices... but I do try. And holy cow, do I try harder when I DON'T make the right choices. The guilt is overwhelming sometimes. But there is no success without failure, and I WILL BE a SUCCESS. I know you can, too.

Finding my "umph"

Gahhhhh This has been the longest week ever. But not even the week- I started feeling sick LAST week. I took 2 days off. I went back to the gym, back to running. Felt worse, took a few more days off. Taking time off to be sick means... cheese. Yeah. Everyone has their own comfort food, right? Well, in my family... we put cheese on EVERYTHING growing up. So, cheese and crackers (always reminds me of my late great grandma Poole) is my number one comfort food, especially if I'm sick. So, I didn't eat my weight in cheese or anything, but, I definitely ate more than I normally would.

I got back in the gym today and it felt great. My throat is still scratchy and raw, and I'm still coughing a little... I couldn't wait any longer. You know.. in the movie Tommy Boy where Richard tells Tommy "I can hear you getting fatter!" .. That is how I have felt with every passing day that I didn't get in the gym. I ran a 2 mile HIIT (treadmill, not elliptical! Ouch to my shins, but what a feeling of accomplishment!), and did arms/shoulders/chest.

Then I came home, and conducted girl scouts. After my scouts left, I prepared Olivia's & my favorite dinner! Chicken stir-fry over quinoa. Its so easy and fast, and by far one of the heartiest dinners (to me).

Easy peasy lemon squeezy..

• sautee organic boneless skinless chicken in some pam and a dash of olive oil until they're white on each side. Remove from pan, dice (you can probably chop them up completely raw but.. I'll gag. So I have to cook them a little first!) Put back in pan.
• add a dash of low sodium soy sauce. cook until chicken is almost finished.
• add in 1/2 bag of frozen stir fry veggies (plain, no sauces/butter added! I use great value brand since its cheap, simple, and walmart is the local grocery store). 
• add another dash of low sodium soy sauce, 1/8c water, bring to boil. Cover, reduce to simmer.
• Meanwhile, you should have had your quinoa cooking. haha.
• Scoop finished quinoa onto your plate (measure your serving, of course! PORTION control!), top with stir-fry goodness, & sprinkle with sesame seeds.

enjoy!