Time in the kitchen

Greek Lemon Chicken, Red Pepper Risotto, and Roasted Asparagus: sounds like it came straight from a restaurant menu. When, in fact, I slaved away making this very meal on Tuesday night. Oh, and then I made 5 dozen cookies. Ugh.

Then, I was so sick of cooking that I gave myself a break for the next two nights - cereal and leftovers.

I thought the risotto and asparagus was wonderful (I once thought I would never use the words "wonderful" and "asparagus" in the same sentence); the chicken was alright. Both recipes came from www.tastykitchen.com, which I highly recommend. AND, while I was looking up these recipes, I realized you can change the servings amount and it automatically adjusts the measurements. So, there goes another math skill down the tube.

I had never had risotto before, but finally put to use the bag of arborio rice that had been in my cupboard for an entire year. It is now one of my favorite foods - oh yum.

Tomorrow night we are having friends over. No slaving in the kitchen, though; I'm having them bring the food!

Getting in shape

Ten weeks ago, Hubs and I started a journey. A journey to get back into shape.

We thought about joining the YMCA. Hubs could swim laps. We could use the cardio machines, the weight room, and even participate in the classes. We could continue running when the weather was nice, but there are no hills and hardly any sidewalks here. Neither of us were motivated to run. We really needed something planned; something or someone who told us what to do each day so that we could really get back into shape. We didn't just want to workout when we felt like it or, for me, when the stomach flab started showing over my jeans. We wanted consistency and results.

So, we bought P90X. There are 12 workout DVDs; it lasts for 13 weeks. It combines weight training with some cardio and some yoga. We work out 6 days a week; 60-90 minutes a day. It comes with a nutrition plan which we stuck to for the first 8 weeks; since then, we have used it as a guide, but have also used our own judgement.

The pros: The workouts are outlined for us each day - no thinking about what you should do. The workouts push you to do more, give you modifications when you need them, and explain each move. We workout at home so I don't have to motivate myself to leave home when it is yucky outside.

The cons: It is a huge time commitment. An hour and a half of yoga really stinks.

So, 10 weeks into the program and I feel like I am fit - like I am in shape. I don't know that I have ever felt like this, even when I was running regularly. I have seen results in how I workout; but also in my body. For instance, I went from hanging on the pull-up bar to pulling myself up to 2 inches from the bar. Also, muscles in my back are appearing that I never had before.

As we end the program, I now have to face the decision of what to do next. Join the Y? Do P90X again? I'm not sure yet; but I do know that I am really enjoying the feel of being in shape!

Lettuce Wraps

I made lettuce wraps the other night. It took me, literally, 20 minutes. Plus, they are good for you and good tasting. Here's the recipe:

3 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. Canola Oil (olive oil works too, but cooke the chicken slower)

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut up into bite-size pieces

black pepper

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. grated ginger (I used ground ginger)

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 8-oz can sliced water chesnuts, drained (I could only find a 5-oz can)

1/4 cup unsalted cashews

1 small head Boston or Bibb lettuce, leaves separated

Mix the soy sauce and honey; set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it begins to turn brown, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and ginger. Add the scallions; cook for 1 minute. Add the water chesnuts and half of the soy sauce mixture. Continue to cook until chicken is done.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with cashews. Divide the lettuce leaves and spoon the chicken on top. Use the rest of the soy sauce mixture for dipping if you want.

Bargain

I love a good bargain. It thrills me to come home and report to Hubs how much money I saved, not spent.

On Friday, Hubs came home with a bargain story of his own.

In our efforts to eat healthier, our food budget has increased and now includes protein bars, and few other various supplements. During the first week of the month, GNC takes 20% off of their products if you have their card. So, Hubs went to stock up on one of the items we use.

While there, he was looking through their protein bars. The salesman asked him if he wanted to get some. Any of you who have eaten a protein bar probably have thoughts of cardboard in your head. We have found some great bars that taste good, but they are more expensive (of course). Hubs told him that we can get them cheaper at Wally World, so we'd pass. That's when the salesman told Hubs that GNC will match another store's price by $1.00.

GNC's price: $2.00

Walmart's price: $1.50

Hubs bought a bar from Walmart, took it back to GNC with the receipt and bought the entire stock of the same protein bar from GNC: 32 bars for $.50 each. PLUS, we got the extra 20% since it was the beginning of the month.

GNC's price for 32 bars: $64.00

Our price for 32 bars: $12.80

A savings of 80%.

Don't you love a good bargain story? Now that Hubs has experienced bargain shopping, perhaps he will be sympathetic next time I head out...

Fresh Herbs

We have not only been using fresh veggies and fruits in our cooking lately, but also fresh herbs. I think they have a lot more flavor than the dried stuff. A few of our favorites are Parsley, Italian Parsley, Basil, and Cilantro. I can buy them cheap enough at the grocery store, but I get a huge bunch of them that go gross before I use them all.

So, thought I, I should plant my own herb garden!

On Saturday, I dragged my mother-in-law all the way out to a small town in Kansas that happens to have a really great greenhouse. They have great flowers and I knew I would be able to find someone to help me get started on growing herbs.

August isn't the best month to start - there weren't a ton of herb plants to choose from, but still I picked out a few to start my little indoor garden.

First we have Stevia. If you eat one of these leaves it is just like putting a little bit of sugar on your tongue. Stevia has been ground up and crystalized and is used as a sweetener now - you probably have heard of it marketed as "Truvia." I really only got this one to fill up some space, but if I ever have a sweet tooth I might chew on a leaf.

Then, we have a lovely smelling plant called Chocolate Mint. Ha! I couldn't believe it. It tastes very much like spearmint to me, not chocolate, so I will use it in iced tea.

Next is sweet basil. They also had another basil that smelled yummy, but I don't use it that often. We use basil in our italian dishes. Oh, one recipe I really like is to take a slice of tomato, top it with some chopped basil, then a slice of fresh mozzarella, and then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh black pepper. Now you have yourself a caprese salad and a yummy snack.

Last are the garlic chives which will be great on baked potatoes and in salads. Both of which are popular at our house.

So, I didn't get my parsley or my cilantro - the whole point of starting an herb garden - but, my mom had an ingenious idea of going back and buying the seeds. Since my garden is inside, I don't have to wait for next spring to plant!

Now, I just have to remember to go use the herbs instead of going straight to the cupboards!

Bring it.

It is just like us to have 2 months of calmness and then cram everything we can think of into 1 week. The theme of last week: Bring It!

It had been 2 months since Hubs or I actually and truly worked out. We were feeling pretty blobby, so last Monday we started our new, intense workout regime. It's very structured - 6 days a week. It's planned - we do they workout that is planned for us. It's intense - the hardest workout I've done in a long time ever. We are sore. We are tired. We are worked. But, we do feel better working out again.

Don't laugh. I took "before" pictures. No, I won't be posting them. End of discussion. But, I did want to see if there will be any noticeable changes in a few months.

Along with the workout, came a new diet. We are eating healthier, fresher foods which means there is lots of prep-work. Chicken to cook the night before, veggies to chop and store in the fridge, and thinking when it comes to deciding what to eat. But, we feel better, we enjoy the food, and it compliments the workout.

It had been 3 months since I had any sort of schedule, routine, and job. Monday was my first day working again. And even though it was for a few short hours a day, it was a change from being a bump on a log. It was good to talk to people and interact again.

Weeks ago, I committed to baking cookies for a conference at church. The conference was this week - the week we started our 1 hr workouts, the week we started eating food that needs considerably more work than popping it in the micro, and the week that I started leaving the house for 6 hours a day. SEVEN HUNDRED cookies later - bagged and tied with raffia - the conference is over and everyone got their cookies.

Once the cookies were bagged, Hubs and I set off cleaning the house for our guests! We love having people stay in our guest room and Hubs's parents made their first stay this weekend. I am happy to say we got the house cleaned and odor-free by they time they arrived.

Add in there hanging out with friends, coffee with family, a trip to the dog park everyday, dog play-date at our house, and getting caught in the hail and it was an eventful, busy, exhausting week.

So, I have no clue what this week will bring our way, but all I have to say is, "BRING IT!"

Because you asked.

Here's the recipe for our new-favorite Italian Meatloaf. I'd be really good with a side of whole grain pasta and a little extra marinara sauce...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup onions, diced (green onions work too)

2 tablespoons fat-free chicken broth, low sodium

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast

1/2 cup sourdough bread crumbs (it took me 15 minutes to find the regular bread crumbs so I just used those)

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons marinara sauce (I used Newman's Own)

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

2 tablespoons italian parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Saute onions in the chicken broth until lightly browned.

3. Add the garlic and cook 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion mixture with the ground turkey, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup marinara sauce, basil, and parsley.

5. Form mixture into a loaf. Shape and place in an ungreased loaf pan.

6. Brush with the remaining marinara sauce and bake until cooked through, 30-45 minutes.

7. Drain off fat and let cool 20 minutes before cutting into 8 slices.

Nutrition info (per slice):

297 Calories, 3g Total fat (8% calories from fat), 45g Protein, 20g Carbohydrate, 106mg Cholesterol, 410mg Sodium

New foods

Hubs and I have begun a new workout/nutrition plan this week. Which means we are both putting down some new foods.

I knew this would be a different type of eating when I bought 75% of my food from the produce section, 20% from the meat department, and only 5% off the regular shelves. This food is fresh and yummy.

Tomatoes

Hubs has never "liked" tomatoes. I just found out this week that he hasn't ever HAD a tomato! He's had them for lunch each day this week.

Avocado

I've never been an avocado fan (I like guac, but that is different). We have both put avocado on our burritoes this week - can't even taste it!

Amount

We are both eating, what seems to be, a lot of food. However, we are just eating good food and the right food to replenish our bodies from high intensity workouts. Our diet consisted of lots of processed foods and carbs. We are eating more protein and veggies right now.

Meatloaf

We have lots of new recipes to try. My first new recipe was "Italian Meatloaf." I have always thought that meat made into a loaf is wrong. But, the ingredients to this meatloaf seemed good, so I gave it a try. Hubs was game for it since the substance that holds it together is marinara sauce rather than the traditional ketchup.

When it came out of the oven, I was very, very nervous. We tasted; it was DELISH! We both ate it up and Hubs has been eating the leftovers, too! But, I didn't tell you why I was even more nervous about this meatloaf. It was made with ground turkey instead of beef; and still, I have never had such a great meatloaf.

Salmon

People keep telling us how wonderful salmon is, especially on a cedar plank. As a rule, I have never eaten pink fish - I like the white ones better. So, I bought salmon and a cedar plank. I covered it in spices and tried not to gag while doing so.

When it came off the grill, it looked reasonable enough. But the more I thought about actually putting it in my mouth, the more I gagged. I didn't even take the whole fillet; I just cut off a portion to try. I tasted my first bite and maintained the same opinion - eww. Hubs gave me some of his potato and I forced my salmon down my throat, covered with potatoes.

Hubs didn't like it, but he didn't think it was horrible. He ate half of his fillet before the gag reflex hit. At least we tried.

Salmon isn't cheap. We have been considering putting Ransom on a salmon-based dog food to help with his itchy skin. So, we cut off the seasoned edges, cut the salmon into bite-sized pieces, and put it in Ransom's food bowl. He licked the bowl clean for about 5 minutes after he gobbled it down; then he searched the house to see if he could find anymore of that stuff.

At least someone enjoyed their omega-3 fatty acids.

A new breakfast

I found something new. It was at Wally World. It's good for you. I think it is yummy too.

Bear Naked Granola - I like the vanilla almond crunch flavor. It tastes like whole grain oats and seeds, but it has a nice sweet flavor that compliments fresh fruit and/or yogurt perfectly. I also like to eat it plain!

Of course it is good for you because of the whole grain oats and the flax seed, but I really like it because it has no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, and no hydrogenated oils. Those things are completely foreign to our digestive system and so I really like to find stuff that is the real-deal. Plus, I think adding something crunchy to yogurt or fruit makes breakfast more fun! 

Really, though. This stuff is yummy - I don't think it is too unreasonably priced, either. At my Wally World it costs $3.48 for 12oz, which lasts me a week or so.

What? Do I ever eat hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup? Do I let these foreign foods into my body? Ha! Let's just say we aren't going to discuss the mini chocolate donuts I also bought on my trip to the grocery store!

My motto: everything in moderation!

Sunshine!

Our bodies need vitamin D and it is absorbed through our skin from the sun's rays. In order to absorb the amount of vitamin D that an average individual (such as myself) needs per week, we need to be outside 2 times a week for 20 minutes, without sunscreen.

So, get outside and absorb some vitamin D today!

Foreign Foods

High Fructose Corn Syrup & Hydrogenated Oils.

These two substances are absolutely foreign to our bodies. They have no nutritional value. They were invented for the sole purpose of allowing normal, perishible foods to sit on the shelf for up to 12 years.

Yummy.

Think of the foods we need to stay healthy and live. Water: God provided us with plenty of that. Vegetables: God made those. Fruits: God made those. Animals: God made those. Everything He provided has nutritional value and necessity.

Think of the foods we eat a lot of. Pop: man made that. Packaged cookies: man made that. Potato chips in a sack: man made that. Hardly any (if any) nutritional value.

I haven't wiped out those un-nutritious foods from our home (do you really think I could stay away from ice cream?). But, I have tried to buy more wholesome options.

For example, I've switched to this:

And, I love it. There are 5 ingredients, all real things. The consistency is more liquid than normal peanut butter because the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil is absent. The taste, however, is delicious and I have been eating it almost everyday. I haven't baked with it yet, but considering this is what they used to use in the olden days, I am not too concerned.

So, try to eat less foreign foods and more real foods. That is what you body needs and wants.

I don't think it is about losing weight or being thin, anymore. It's about eating and living healthy lifestyles.

Information taken from "Eat Well! Live Well!" by Pamela Smith, RD.

Oils & Fats

You should have 2 main oils in your home for cooking: Olive Oil & Organic Canola Oil.

Olive Oil should be the oil used most often and in low-heat cooking; the best to use is extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). EVOO is derived from the first pressing of the olives and has the most delicate flavor and most antioxidant benefits. It is one of the most healthy foods, protecting against degenerative diseases and heart disease. The mediterranean diet is very high in olive oil (it is their primary fat intake), and interestingly enough, these people are the most healthy and live the longest. But, do remember, it is a fat and should not be consumed in great quantities.

Organic Canola Oil should be used when cooking at high heat and, of course, when baking. Even thinking about brownies with olive oil makes me cringe! Canola Oil does not have all the health benefits of olive oil

Both of those oils are monounsaturated fats and should make up no more than 20% of your total fat intake.

Examples of polyunsaturated fats are liquid vegetable oils and should make up no more than 10% of your total fat intake.

Saturated fats include animal foods and coconut and palm oils and should make up no more than 7% of your total fat intake.

And, trans fats are things such as shortening, margarine, crackers, and cookies and should make up not more than 3% of your total fat intake.

Information taken from Dr. Low Dog.

Organic or not?

I'll admit that I've always thought the whole "organic food" thing was a little ridiculous. I mean, I buy smart chicken because I like it better, but other than that, my cart steers clear of the organic section.

Then, I heard about a study that took blood from 10 newborns' umbilical cords . You would think newborn babies' blood should be pure and clean, right? An average of 200 industrial chemicals and pollutants were found; a total of 287 different chemicals between the 10 babies. Of those 287 chemicals, 180 cause cancer, 217 are toxic to the brain and nervous system, and 208 cause birth defects and abnormal development.

Now, I am not naive enough to believe that all those toxins came from food. Nor am I putting myself on a rigid organic diet. There is some produce, however, that we should just buy organic because we can't get rid of the pesticides by simply washing.

By the way, until 2 weeks ago I never, ever washed my non-organic produce before eating it!
There is a more complete list, but I think this one simplifies it pretty well. Keep in mind that pesticides cling to the fuzziness of peaches. Fruit with a rind or peel (cantaloupe and bananas)aren't a big deal because you eat the inside. Berries are hard to rid of pesticides, too.

I checked out our organic produce area this past weekend. Sadly, they had only 2 cartons of organic strawberries and no organic grapes or berries. The organic apples are delicious, though. I know I can't keep out all the toxins, and I know I can't buy everything organic; but I am going to check out our organic section more often and even purchase more organic items in the future.

Let me know if you are interested in the larger list of produce you should buy organic.

Information taken from Dr. Low Dog.

April Fools

This morning I turned on the wii fit and my balance board (on the screen) was wearing a funny hat. Odd. THen it told me, "Balance...board...not...responding...no...signal..." Hm.

Seconds later, it popped up and said, "Just kidding. April fools!"

It scares me how smart that thing is sometimes.

-------------------------------------------------------

Hubs and I are headed out of town, again. Which means no access to a computer and therefore no blog posts for 4 days. Gasp.

Wait, it's okay. I have good news!

For those two of you who will miss reading the Feather Files, I am still going to post. But, instead of it being all about Hubs and Feath, you will get little health and nutrition tidbits that I picked up at the dental conference.

I hope you enjoy them, but if you don't, I'll be back on Monday.

Retail Therapy

Some of you may wonder, What exactly does the spouse of a dentist do at a dental conference? I actually wondered the same thing, but I have always been able to keep myself pretty occupied, so I didn't spend too much time fretting over it.

It turns out that we attend session just like everyone else. I was surprised and excited to see many other people with yellow name badges (they color-code you based on your position, ie. dentist, hygienist, assistant, office staff, and spouse). Immediately, I knew we had a bond. We were in the same position - supporting our husband (or wife) and their career, their practice, their team.

Most attendees are there to get credit for their continuing education (CE). Although we should definitely keep up on what is going on in the dental world for the ability to have a conversation with our spouse about his day, it is not mandatory for our job. We signed up for 4 sessions, however, and I was delighted to see that 3 classes were on health and nutrition!

The routine was as so: Take the shuttle to the convention center, get a latte, go to the first session. Eat lunch and bask in the sunlight for 2 hours. Go to the second session, take the shuttle back to the hotel. Eat supper. Two days of this = great information (which will be shared in later posts), a reboost in my excitement to go back to school and learn, and a very tired bottom.

But what does all this have to do with retail therapy?

At these conferences there is usually one more day of sessions. I learned that this is the day that dental spouses, and others who have enough CE, go to retail therapy. I had not heard of this before, but I found that it is a definite highlight of the trip.

It goes as so: Find the best mall in the area. Take the subway to it. Divide and conquer the mall. Meet for lunch and find out where the best deals are. Take off again for round 2. That's retail therapy.

The particular mall we went to was ginormous. I was not able to even experience half of it, but I did take in the 2 story versions of Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel.


I had a great time shopping, but even more so, getting to know the people that Hubs will be working with. They were so fun to hang out with.

I find myself looking forward to the next dental convention (and the retail therapy).