Skinny Cow

One day, an unassuming young woman was perusing the ice cream aisle at her local grocery in search of a decent option of ice cream to satisfy that cold, sweet tooth she had.  To her great surprise, she discovered Skinny Cow!  There were ice cream cups that were only 150 calories each, ice cream bars, ice cream sandwichs, and her heart just fluttered with excited.

Ok, so it wasn’t as dramatic as that.  But I’m so glad I came across these in ice cream aisle.  They are delicious and I’m actually able to satisfy my cold food desire with less than one serving (of course I could just be weird like that).  Skinny Cow also has candy available (although I could not locate it at my grocery store).  Below is a link to their website to see all of their products and their nutritional info.  As well as a link to an article that proclaimed Skinny Cow ice cream to be the #1 Best Packaged Food.  Check it out and be sure to try all the flavors.  I can’t pick a favorite.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/desserts

http://www.skinnycow.com/

Brown Soda Bread

When Borders went out of business (may it Rest In Peace), I bought this Irish cook book for a good deal.  I really like that it had a good sized section about the history of Irish food and how’s it’s developed over the centuries.  It also has “Cook’s Tips” and “Variations” to give a more rounded idea of how the food is/can be made.  Well, this weekend is St. Patrick’s Day and I FINALLY made something from this book.

According to the book, “…to this day wholemeal (whole-wheat) soda bread remains the bread of the nation…Although wholemeal soda bread (also called brown bread) is the most popular, the same combination is used for white soda breads, plain and flavored, white and brown scones, and sweet teabreads” (Page 64).

I made both Brown and White Soda Bread.  The Brown Soda Bread is “virtually fat-free” so I will share that recipe:

Makes 1 Loaf

Ingredients:
4 cups wholemeal (whole-wheat) flour
1½ cups plain (all purpose) flour
1½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups buttermilk

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 400ºF.  Grease a baking sheet.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir in enough buttermilk to make a fairly soft dough.  Turn on to a work surface dusted with wholemeal flour and knead lightly until smooth (KTB Tip: Cover your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands while you work).
3.  Form the dough into a circle, about 1½ inches thick.  Lay on the baking sheet and mark a deep cross in the top with a floured knife. (Along with practical matters of helping the dough to cook evenly, I’ve also heard the cross was used to keep the devil away from those who ate from it)
4.  Bake for about 45 minutes or until the bread is browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the base.  Cool on a wire rack.  IF a soft crust is preferred, wrap the loaf in a clean dishtowel while cooling.

The book recommends different ways to eat the bread (with jam, butter, soups, etc.).  So I tried plain, margarine, and strawberry jam.  I found the margarine combination to be delicious.  I hope you enjoy it!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! Sláinte!

Foil-Pack Chicken with Artichokes

I tried this one last week and really enjoyed it.  I did not have all of the ingredients though, so I had to improvise.  Instead of the italian dressing, I used a balsamic vinaigrette.

I also switched out the halved chicken breast for chicken tenders.  I think because I switched to a smaller meat but kept the cooking time, I dried out my chicken.  Next time, I’ll either stick to the chicken breasts, adjust the time, or marinate the chicken before hand (probably in the dressing).

I was drawn to this recipe because it seemed really easy with minimal clean up (both true) and because of the artichokes.  I LOVE artichokes.  As proven by my post about them a while back.  I also like that I could take the concept and run with it.  You can switch up the vegetables, the rice, the seasoning, etc.  It’s still going to be easy and, most likely, it will still be delicious.

Cassie Craves: Foil-Pack Chicken with Artichokes, Tomatoes, and Rice.

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas

My family and I made these for dinner tonight.  They were very tasty.  We did tweak the recipe just a bit to fit our personal tastes and I recommend you doing it too.

For starters, we added peppers and onions.  We sauteed them before assembly.  We used low-carb tortillas and a low-fat option of barbecue sauce.  We cooked the pineapple on the stove with a griddle.  Worked just as well and was very tasty.

We Put all the yumminess on one side of the tortilla and folded it over.  It proved to be difficult because of the thickness of the quesadilla.  Then we put them in the oven on cookie sheets at 375°F until the cheese was melted.  They were delicious but a challenge to eat.

Grilled Chicken & Pineapple Quesadillas | The Pioneer Woman Cooks | Ree Drummond.

Spicy Chicken Soup

This is delicious and easy.  I felt they were a little off on the cook time though.  It took longer than the recipe claimed, but it was worth the wait.

I did screw up the ingredients though. I adjusted the recipe to serve four instead of eight, but didn’t always stick to it when measuring.  I just got a little ahead of myself and threw it all in there without double checking.  So I ended up having to add in some chicken stock (luckily I had some) to add more liquid.

I did not find this recipe to be “spicy.”  It was very well flavored, but if you looking for spicy, tweak the recipe a bit.  Add more chili powder, get a salsa with more kick to it, etc.  Whatever you do, you can’t screw up this recipe.

And if you’re like me and had no idea what “bouillon” was or where to find it in the grocery store, it’s by the canned soups.  I found a low fat option even.

I’ve been eating these leftovers for a few days, and I’m still not tired of it.  It’s very yummy and I hope you enjoy it!

Catherines Spicy Chicken Soup Recipe – Allrecipes.com.

Midterm Exam

BEFORE; September 2011 

AFTER; March 2012

Well here it is: my halfway point for weight loss. I’m down about 30 pounds.  I feel stronger than ever and am getting more impressed with myself everyday.  For example, today with my trainer I benched about 315 lbs on the leg press!

I just hope that I can keep up the great work and lose the rest of the weight.  I am aiming for my high school weight.  To quote something I saw on Pinterest, “I want to be as skinny as when I thought I was fat.”  And I’m getting closer!

I’m in a size pant that I haven’t worn in years and I am finding shopping to be a much more fun experience.  However, I am trying not to buy too much since I plan on getting smaller.  Maybe when I hit my goal, Stacy and Clinton can surprise me with a $5000 shopping card, a trip to New York, and a makeover!  A girl can dream can’t she?

For now, I’ll stick to going through my closet and taking in a few pieces and living with some others being a bit baggy.  I think it’s a pretty decent problem to have; having clothes that are a little too big.  It’s a much better feeling than putting on your favorite shirt and looking at it stretch around the roundness that is your body.

Basil Chicken over Angel Hair

I found this dish to be pretty easy.  I didn’t cube my chicken, I just cooked strips and had two with a small serving of the pasta.

I’m not sure if I am just not good at cooking chicken (extremely possible), but the chicken turned out pretty dry.  And this seems to be the case in most chicken dishes I try (except the Balsamic Chicken). Any cooking tips on Chicken would be greatly appreciated.

I did not use angel hair pasta.  Instead I used whole wheat spaghetti noodles.  Usually I don’t care much for the taste of whole wheat pasta, but I found the basil to be a nice compliment to it.  I only cooked enough pasta for one serving.  I don’t like reheated pasta very much.  Next time I ate it, I cooked just a bit more pasta and mixed it all together.

I also skipped on the parmesan.  It lowers the calorie count just a little bit.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/basil-chicken-over-angel-hair/detail.aspx

February Weigh-In

Tonight was my weigh-in for February (despite it being the first day of March), and I am so excited!  I’m down a total of 29.6 pounds!  You can see all of the individual measurements on the My Measurements page.

Because I am making such great progress, the gym that I go to is going be putting a “Before and After” page about me on their wall featuring other great success stories!  So I had to go through some pictures and find a not-so-flattering image which was a lot harder than expected since I deleted most of the pictures (I’m a girl, what can I say?).  I also had to write a maximum 200 words about my experience so far.  So I’ve asked my trainer for a copy of the “After” picture.  And when he gets it to me, I’ll be sure to post it along with the “Before” picture and my little 200-word tidbit.

But for now, check out my visual encouragement button jars.  I got the idea from Pinterest to make these jars and they sit in my kitchen on display.  Four buttons = 1 Pound, and I round to make it easier on myself.

And as you can see, I’m so close to half of my goal.  If I keep on track, a few more months and I’ll be back to my high school size.  And who knows, maybe I’ll keep going!