Monthly Archives: July 2012

You Down With FPP?

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I apologize for the title of this post. Some days it’s more difficult :)

It’s Foodie Pen Pal reveal day! Yippee!

Seriously, if you guys are not yet participating in this fun little monthly exchange, you are really missing out. Each month a new package shows up on your door, from some fabulous fellow blogger (or reader), and it’s chock full of new foodie goodies. What’s not to love about that, right? Who doesn’t love getting presents?
This month, I was matched with Bec. Normally, Foodie Pen Pals packages are an awesome assortment of snacky food items. Which I love, obviously. But this month, my package had a few snacky items (hello, organic jellybeans and hazelnut chocolate!) but it also contained a jar of pesto, nut butter, meat seasoning, and–best of all–a citrus mojo marinade. It was a delicious change of pace. And as I type this, my crock pot is bubbling with the mojo and some chicken breasts, which I’ll serve over black beans and brown rice for dinner tonight. Can’t. Wait.
I may have forgotten to get a shot of the chocolate before I devoured it. Um, oops? It was really tasty, if that helps…

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Be a part of this, people! Head over to Lindsay’s spot, the Lean Green Bean Blog, and sign up! But do it before August 4th, since Lindsay sends out the next month’s pairings on the 5th.

Who knows? Maybe you’ll be my Foodie Pen Pal next month…you should be so lucky :)

A Trio of Chocolate

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It may not be the best idea, but I do like to keep a little something sweet around the house to curb any sudden cravings and, really, stop me from running over to the grocery and buying a dozen donuts.

After mentioning my mom’s amazeballs chocolate chip cookies in a recent post, a new reader/friend, Shri (my Foodie Pen Pal last month), requested the recipe. And what a good idea she gave me! I decided I’d bake up a batch, but in true Manda Kay fashion, try and strip them of their really good bits (butter, et al.) in an effort to make them deliciously healthier.

Here’s my mom’s original recipe for when you feel like a treat:

Mama Ruthie’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 C butter
1/3 C vegetable shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 375° and spray two cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
  • With a mixer, cream together the first four ingredients.
  • Add the egg and vanilla.
  • Stir in 1/2 of the flour, along with the baking soda and salt. Once combined, add the remaining flour.
  • Spoon heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the cookie sheets and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.
To lighten these cookies, follow the same directions, but add 2 total cups of flour instead of 1 1/2, and swap:

  • 1/3 C + 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce for 1/3 C butter
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp shortening for 1/3 C shortening
  • 1 egg white (3 Tbsp liquid egg whites) for 1 whole egg

What you get is a fluffy, slightly chewy, totally delicious and healthier version of my Ruthie’s standard cookies. I’ve realized, though, that I need a replacement for a.p. flour–that stuff is wickedly full of calories. And with little to redeem it nutritionally…not good.

So I’ve decided to move on to whole wheat flour. In baking, most people recommend you start with equal parts all-purpose and whole wheat flour and adjust from there, since the whole wheat flour typically produces a denser product. But I think we all know that patience and adjustments are not my thing–I’m more of an “all or nothing” kind of girl, as you’ll see in the recipe below.

When I mentioned to the parentals that I was switching up Ruthie’s cookie recipe, my dad, lover of all things peanut butter and cookie-related, suggested I make peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Voila! A new recipe is born!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 C applesauce
1/2 C peanut butter (I use Jif all-natural)
3 tbsp egg substitute
1 tsp vanilla
1 C whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 375° and spray two cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
  • With a mixer, cream together the first four ingredients.
  • Add the egg substitute and vanilla.
  • Stir in 1/2 of the flour, along with the baking soda and salt. Once combined, add the remaining flour. Add more flour, little by little, if dough seems too wet.
  • Spoon heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the cookie sheets and bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.

Turkey Vegetable Soup

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Yesterday, the temperature hovered right around 100º. When you combine that with a dew point in the upper 60′s…well, it was down right soupy here in Minnesota (get it?). In honor of icky-sticky summer we’ve been experiencing, I decided that a giant steaming pot of vegetable soup would be appropriate. Because nothing says, “summer” like simmering a pot of soup for two-plus hours.


I’ve been looking for ways to eat more vegetables, lower my carb and sodium intake, and increase my fiber. This soup does all of that. Another beautiful thing about this concoction is you can add/remove ingredients to fit your individual taste. So get out your cutting board and start chopping. Here’s to a sweltering summer and scrumptious soups!
Turkey Vegetable Soup
Makes about 16 cups
Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
1/2 medium yellow onion
1 green bell pepper
2 large carrots
2 stalks celery
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 bunches kale
1 large can crushed tomatoes
32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
2 C water
1 can cannellini beans
2 medium zucchini
1 large summer squash
1 C quinoa
2 tsp flat leaf parsley
  • Prep all vegetables before beginning: chop onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, zucchini and summer squash; remove the kale leaves from the stem and chop, drain and rinse the beans.
  • In a large skillet, with a bit of water, saute the ground turkey with a dash of salt and pepper until it is cooked through. Set aside.
  • Over medium heat, heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven (or other pot) and add the onion, carrots, celery, bell pepper, bay leaves, basil, and garlic powder. Stirring occasionally, cook until veg is softened (about 8-10 minutes).
  • Add in the kale and wilt it down (again, about 8-10 minutes).
  • Add the tomatoes, chicken broth, and water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes (until kale is softened and wilted)
  • Stir in the beans, zucchini, and summer squash and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Finally, stir in the quinoa and parsley. Cook for about 10 minutes, until quinoa has softened.
*It’s important to season each layer with a bit of salt and pepper as you add it to the pot. I use Morton’s Lite Salt, which has 50% of the sodium of regular table salt.
*Upon reheating, you may need to add more chicken stock or water, as the quinoa will continue to absorb the liquid.
Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 12 oz.
Calories: 82
Fat: 1g
Carbs: 12g
Fiber: 3g
Sodium: 246mg
Protein: 8g

Halfway Point: July Goals

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Goals for July

1. Log 100 miles
2. Lose 10 lbs
3. Take and record my measurements
4. Develop 3 new recipes
5. Start spending more time with my friends
6. Strength train 3 days per week
7. Complete 15 2-a-days
8. Go to happy hour and enjoy responsibly
9. Log my food and exercise every day
10. Take my first yoga class

We’re halfway through July now, friends, and I’m halfway through my goals. It’s shaping up to be a great (hot!) summer! The past few weeks have been filled with their share of challenges, and also quite a few triumphs. Here’s how the month has been shaking out:

#3: With some help from both of my parents, I took my measurements this past weekend. And I measured everything. I’m excited to start seeing concrete results beyond the scale! Oh, and I haven’t yet decided how often I’ll remeasure, so if you have any suggestions for this, do let me know!

#4: So, even though I’ve yet to share them with you, I do have three delicious new recipes waiting in the wings. Actually, I have at least ten that I’ve stockpiled over the past few months–I’ve been slacking in that department! Coming at you soon: Kohlrabi Potato Gratin, Whole Wheat Banana Chocolate Chip Oat Loaf, Shrimp Scampi, Whole Wheat Zucchini Chocolate Chip Bread,  and Ricotta Pizza, among others.

#5: I haven’t done quite as well on this as I would like, but I have made it more of a priority. I think balance is something I’m going to struggle with for awhile on this journey, but as long as I recognize that and take proactive steps to address and resolve it, I’ll consider myself successful.

#8: I went to happy hour this month and nursed one vodka soda for over three hours. And guess what? I still had a great time. Same goes for the wedding I went to this past weekend. One drink. Normally, in any type of social situation, I would need a few cocktails to make it through and overcome my anxiety of being seen in public. But I think I’m slowly getting over that. Progress, my friends!

#10: I took my first yoga class earlier this month. I went into it very anxious and nervous but also excited. I’ve wanted to try yoga for years, but always thought I was too big and too out of shape to attend a class where I’d be twisting and bending my large body–wouldn’t all my fat get in the way? Long story short, yes. Yoga was definitely a challenge as a large person. I was uncomfortable as hell in that class, and sore as hell after. I didn’t really see the appeal, but I do think I’ll go back. Maybe it’ll click after repeated exposure. And if not, it is definitely great to expose my body to a different type of active movement.

There you have it: my progress for the first half of this month! How are you doing on your goals? What have you accomplished this month? What are you struggling with? Let me know! 

Emotional

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This has been quite. The. Week. I’ve been on a cliched roller coaster of emotion all week.

Everything started off normal enough–I had a great few days of workouts and super clean eating, I was getting enough sleep and enough water, doing exactly what I was supposed.

I designated Tuesday as my rest day this week, mostly because I was oddly sore from my first yoga class on Sunday morning and I had a doctor’s appointment that afternoon. I weighed myself that morning and was up four pounds from the previous day. Um, excuse me? That put in me in a rotten mood all day.

I got to the doctor’s office, ready to demand answers for why my body was being such a little bitch. I needed to know why my cycle has been so off lately (four times in less than two months) and why I’ve been so moody/plateaued/carb-craving/headachey/crampy/etc. I also wanted validation that my calorie intake/workout schedule was appropriate for what I was trying to do.

The doctor told me that: a) yes, my hormones were crazy, b) lowering my caloric intake by 100 and doing some sort of exercise seven days a week instead of six would hopefully bust the plateau, and c) the plateau/weird cycle/crazy hormones were a result of my body revolting and trying to return to a comfortable weight. Comfortable for who, body?

I felt better leaving her office, and, needing to return a few things, went for a little of my new favorite pastime: what size clothes can I fit into now? Well, I tried on a size-smaller shirt and a pair of “normal” sized pants. Low and behold, they (mostly) fit! I cannot tell you what a thrill this is. I’m so close to reaching another milestone: consistently shopping in non-plus size stores! I floated on that high the rest of the night.

Things were decidedly different the next morning when I stepped on the scale. Nothing. Still up four pounds from Monday. Quit being a little bitch, body. Get with the program. I was pissy all day, felt nauseous, didn’t really eat, went home and carbo-loaded. Like marathon runners do the night before a race.

That pattern continued in spades yesterday–I received some unwelcome personal news and was an emotional wreck, crying at my desk, crying myself to sleep, and eating way too many potatoes (random!). But today, I’m really trying to get my act together and get back on my game. I have no desire to quit or go back to old ways–that’s not even an option in my mind. But this hormone thing is killing me–I feel out of control, like the old me. When you combine those feelings with not seeing results on the scale even though I was working my butt off…well, I quite simply fell apart this week. Let’s acknowledge it, learn from it, and start kicking its ass. Here’s to taking control, making yourself proud, and not falling victim to old demons! 

The Weekend in Numbers

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Ignore the bad cell phone pics, focus on a few of the numbers I experienced during this exhausting, exhilarating, healthy, progress-filled weekend!

16…size of the (very) generously cut linen dress I shimmied into just to see if I could. Almost…at least I didn’t get stuck!
11…ring size I used to wear.
9…ring size I slipped on this weekend.
2…recipes I put together this weekend: chocolate chunk brownies with greek yogurt and apple turkey burgers.
14…percentage of body weight I’ve lost since January.
9…hours of sleep I got both Friday and Saturday night. Glorious.
4…items of clothing I tried on but had to put back because they were too big. I’m officially down two sizes!
2…books I finished.
1…both the number of  yoga classes I took this weekend and the number of goals I crossed of the list for for July.
4…workouts I killed.
 And, best for last…

4…pounds I’ve lost since Friday!

So proud of myself after the past few days. What did you do this weekend to make yourself proud?