Cucumber Water

Today was a good day. I have switched my drinking habits completely....not that my drinking habits were as bad as that may have sounded! I have been drinking alot of water, which is something I have always struggled with, and never really enjoyed. I am drinking about 6 glasses of water a day, 1 tea, 1 coffee, and 1 Crystal Lite.,,,and it feels great! So....what are you drinking out there? Tap? Bottled? Brita? I'm curious. Here's another tip I picked up from a friend's spa...CUCUMBER WATER! Keep a pitcher of water in the fridge with fresh cucumber slices, it's delish!

Breakfast
1 cup Raisin Bran
3/4 cup skim milk
Snack Yogurt

Lunch
Spinach Salad
1 Chocolate chip cookie

Dinner
Chicken Souvlaki
Couscous
Salad

Snack
1 Chocolate Muffin

mmmmm.....muffins!

Good evening loyal readers, hungry moms, and whomever else may have stumbled upon this blog with hopes of hearing a juicy confession. Today was a fantastic day! I spent the morning with 2 lovely ladies, had a delish brunch at Cora's and then a relaxing afternoon at home (cleaning the house, taking apart a crib, setting up a bed, and installing a dishwasher). But let's face it, you didn't come here to read about me....or did you? Well, if you came here for a yummy low-fat chocolate muffin recipe you came to the right spot. You won't believe how simple they are to make, and for all you Weight Watchers enthusiasts out there.....2 POINTS! Are they muffins, are the cupcakes, I'll let you decide.

My Day in Food:

Snack
2 clementines

Brunch
Eggs Benedict (no hollandaise sauce)
Assorted fruit
A few home fries


Snack
3 PingMings


Dinner
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Salad

Snack
1 Chocolate Muffin


Chocolate Mufffin Recipe

Ingredients

(makes 18 muffins)

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin

18 ounces devil's food cake mix

1/4-1/2 cup water

Instructions

1. Mix all together by hand or you may use a mixer.
2. Bake at 350°F in muffin tins for 30-35 minutes.

You Are What You Eat

A scary phrase, after the day I've just had. It's been a few days since I have updated the blog, and while I could offer a variety of excuses, I won't bother other aside from saying thinking ahead is KEY! We have had something on just about every night this week, and dinner has been eat and run. I find it is usually not a problem to stay on track in the morning, have a good breakfast, healthy snack, and a healthy lunch is easy. It's in the afteroons, when I hit that 3:00 wall that my snacking can get out of control. Not that I'm eating alot, just grabbing whatever is convenient. So, I am making a concentrated effort to kick that habit. Any suggestions?

Yesterday I woke up with no doubt that I was fighting off a cold. And as I tucked myself into bed before the sun went down, it occurred to me that I hadn't actually eaten a meal, or a vegtable! My day in food consisted of:

Morning
A piece of a bran muffin
1 orange

Afternoon
A handful of white chocolate chips

Dinner
3 pieces of french bread

What a bizarre combination of foods! Today is bound to be a better day!

I have discovered some fantastic healthy recipes. Here's a recipe for a yummy BBQ chicken black bean pizza, add a side salad and it's the perfect meal for a family on the run!

BBQ Chicken and Black Bean Pizza

Ingredients

	1/2 pound(s) chicken breast, uncooked, boneless, skinless, cubed
	16 oz pizza crust, pre-baked
	1 1/2 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican cheese
	7 1/2 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained, (about 1/2 a 15 oz can)
	1 small onion(s), red, finely chopped
	1/2 cup(s) barbecue sauce
	1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped

Instructions

• Place rack in centre of oven. Preheat to 450ºF.
  
  
• Spray a nonstick skillet and stir-fry chicken over medium-high heat, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to medium-size bowl and toss with half barbecue sauce.
  
  
• Place pizza crust on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup cheese. Arrange chicken and black beans over crust; sprinkle with onion and cilantro. Drizzle with remaining barbecue sauce; add remaining 3/4 cup cheese.
  
  
• Bake 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles. Cut into 6 large slices and serve immediately.

A Shocking Confession

Well dear readers, I have a confession to make. It's of the sorted nature, and might just shock a couple pounds right off you! Today was full of activity. We left the house at 8:45am and I likely won't be home before 9:00pm. Due to those extenuating circumstances 2 of my 3 meals for the day came from McDonald's. I can almost hear your gasps of disgust, and see your jaws hitting the floor through my webcam....but it's true. Not only that, but my snack, I swiped from an innocent toddler. Now before you start sending me messages, expressing your disappointment, let me tell you how I did.

Breakfast

1 cup Raisin Bran

1 cup skim milk

Snack

4 Teddy Grahams (the innocent toddler was mine...and his innocence I may have exaggerated)

Lunch

1 Snack Wrap - grilled chicken, no sauce

1 Side Salad

Diet Pepsi

Dinner

1 Spicy Thai Salad - grilled chicken no dressing

1 Kiwi

Dining With Friends

Tonight we had the pleasure of chowing down with friends at their place. I woke up this morning very much looking forward to it, and on a mission to plan my other meals around splurging tonight. B and I were up bright and early and she was begging for pancakes, so what's a hungry mom to do? Pancakes it is! I found a great recipe on Jamie Oliver's website, whipped those up, and once the smell of pancakes and bacon made it's way upstairs, Ian & Paul weren't far behind.

Went for a great walk today, I love that quiet time, don't you?

When we arrived at our friends tonight, I learned that she has been following the blog, and had made strawberry shortcake for dessert, rather than making tea biscuits like she normally would, she made angel food cake...so sweet & thoughtful.... not to mention low cal ;) What an angel...thank-you :)

I'm feeling great about this challenge. Eating better, drinking alot of water, and making more of an effort to take the time for exercise. Below you will find my day in food, including the recipe for Jamie Oliver's Pancakes.

Breakfast
1 small pancake
1/2 cup strawberries
yogurt

Lunch
1 cup carrots
10 multi-grain tortilla chips
4 tb spoons of guacomole
coffee

Snack
kiwi

Dinner
lasagna
1 piece garlic bread
baby spinach salad
strawberry shortcake

Jamie Oliver's Pancake Recipe
For the pancakes
• 1 egg, preferably free range or organic
• 1 cup of plain flour
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Sea salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 lime

To cook your pancakes
Put a large frying pan on a medium heat and add half the butter. When the butter has melted and the pan is nice and hot, use a ladle to spoon the batter into the pan. Each ladleful will make 1 pancake—they’re quite small, so you can cook several at a time. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes and use a turner to flip them over when they start to brown on the bottom and get little bubbles on the top. When cooked on both sides, transfer them to a plate, carefully wipe the pan clean with paper towels, add the rest of the butter, and start again. Keep going until all the batter is used up.

To serve your pancakes
Serve straight away, topped with a dollop of flavored yogurt, the diced fresh mango and wedges of lime for squeezing over.

Girls Night In!

Girls Night In! I'm happy to say I have survived without doing too much damage!

1 Herbal Tea
2 cups of popcorn
20 gummie bears

Could be worse :) Watched a terribly depressing movie which we vowed NEVER to see again, but on the bright side my nails are now a lovely shade of pink. Nothing like a little cosmetic candy to curb a sweet tooth. However with names like Red My Fortune Cookie, Chop-Sticking to My Story, and Dim Sum Plum from OPI's Hong Kong collection one is left with a craving for some mid-night Chinese food.....

Today was a busy day, with lots of eating on the run. Needless to say, my fruit & veggie intake was not where it needed to be, but I'll be back on track tomorrow. I took Ian swimming today, not really sure if this counts as exercise, it's not like I was really exerting myself....but nonetheless reminded of my need to do so, and that must count for something!

I am totally loving Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, anyone else out there watching?

Here's my day in food!

Breakfast
1 Cup Raisin Bran
1 Cup Millk
1 Cup Orange Juice

Lunch
4 Ryvita Crackers
2 tb spoons of peanut butter
1 Cup carrots

Dinner
1 Slice Pizza

Day 1 - April 8

Off to a great start today, the sun was shining and the kids and I played outside all day, walked to the playground twice, I might add ;) I promised I would honestly update what I have eaten each day, so here goes!

PS. The Honey-Soy Chicken with Mango Salsa, delish! A big hit with everyone in our house, even the kids and Uncle Billy!! The recipe is below.

Breakfast
1 cup Raisin Bran
1 cup skim milk

Snack
2 Ryvita Crackers with peanut butter

Lunch
Veggie Burger
Whole Wheat Bun
1 cup carrots

snack
1 small mango

Dinner
Honey Soy Chicken with Mango Salsa
Baby Spinach Salad (tomatoes & Cucumbers)
Couscous

Ingredients

4 Tbsp honey
4 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 medium mango can or fresh, chopped
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
8 Tbsp cucumber chopped
8 Tbsp ground coriander
2/3 cup cooked couscous
4 uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast

Directions

Marinate chicken in honey and soy sauce for 30 minutes. Combine mango, cucumber, coriander and lime juice and set aside. Cook chicken breast in nonstick pan with oil until tender and browned. Serve chicken topped with mango salsa on a bed of couscous

Number of Servings: 4

Oh Hungry?

Most of us have been there at one point or another, some of us have been there for far too long. Whether it's that extra 5 pounds or extra 50 that has dispersed it's self over a body you barely recognize, the battle to shed it is not an easy one. That freshman 15 that never went away, the baby weight which has hung around longer than the babies, or just the realization that summer is a mere 11 weeks away and that means the inevitable... swim suit season! I have tried Weight Watchers, flirted with Simply For Life, joined the gym on numerous occassions, yet over the past seven years the pointer on the scale has gone in the completely wrong direction. These are all great programs that have been successful for scores of people, the reason I haven't succeeded is simple, I haven't been committed to it. Had I stuck to the meal plan faithfully, tracked my points daily, or dragged myself to the gym on a regular basis the result would be different. But I did not, thus the result has not been favorable. So, hear I am, committing to you (whoever you may be) to stick to it. On a daily basis I will update this blog with how I have done, what I have eaten , if I have exercised, and how I am feeling about it all. Stay tuned for lots of healthy recipes along the way. As I get ready to post this, I am already questioning my own sanity....do I really want you all reading the dirty little secrets in my cupboards? Am I ready to embrace the judging when I can't say no to that Skor bar calling my name? The answer is YES! If that's what it takes, bring it on :)