Take out

I love Chinese food but I don't think I could ever convince myself to make it at home even though I have heard of people making healthier versions of it.

My job is going well but i feel like work gets in the way of exercise.  So, I need to make wiser food and drink choices and force myself to get outside and walk.

I found a lot of cool apps for my phone.  One of them allows you to put in the ingredients you have at hand and gives you a list of recipes.  Another app is Fooducate.  You put in say Sara lee's whole wheat bread and it gives you nutritional information that you would't know just from reading the label.

Wow...today has been a busy kind of day!  I started out kinda at a slow speed but I got a lot accomplished around the house.  I did some chores, voted and actually took a walk down to Captain D's.  Too bad I never have the money to stop in and eat.
    I have gotten to where I know John and I could use some sort of tool to keep the house clean.  It seems like the chores always get piled on top of each other.  That is why I have gone to www.flylady.com.  My mother-in-law introduced it to me.  The first thing Fly Lady asks you to do is to shine your sink.  So, that is day 1.  I'm looking forward to tomorrow now even though I have to work.  I can't wait to see what I should do next. 

Pizza tonight

I am now typing this on my phone to say we are having a freschetta cheese pizza.  I wish I could make a healthier version like one with whole grain crust, tomato sauce, and vegetables such as: green and red peppers, banana peppers, sliced black olives, sweet onions, and tomatoes. 

I like getting subway's pizzas but they have over 200 more calories than a sub sandwich!  Its not the best food for watching your weight.

I love pizza but I have been bad about watching the portion size I was eating.  Now I eat the serving size and still end up full.

Breakfast anyone??

I know the norm for most breakfasts is the coffee and donut or muffin combination from a fast food place.  Now, I can't say that has been true with me in a long time.  John and I are usually good about eating breakfast at home except when we're going somewhere and/or we don't have a lot of breakfast foods in the house. 
           I like to eat oatmeal, my husband's nest eggs (that he makes by putting a hole in the toast and pouring egg in the middle), cereal, muffins and a cup coffee (or two).
           I'm willing to try something new for breakfast but end up having the same kind of stuff in my cart every two weeks.
           So, I want to share one recipe that looks quite appetizing and healthy.

German Apple-Pear Puff Pancakes

Source: Hypertension Cookbook for Dummies

Servings: 8

Prep Time: 10 min. Cook time: 18 to 20 min.

Per Serving: CALORIES 201 (from fat 90) FAT 10 g SAT fat 3 g CHOLESTEROL 160 mg

SODIUM 271 mg CARBS 21 g DIETARY FIBER 2 g PROTEIN 8 g POTASSIUM 177 mg

Nonstick cooking spray

1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced

1 medium ripe pear, cored and thinly sliced

1 tbsp brown sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup whole-wheat flour

1 cup lowfat milk

6 eggs or 2 whole eggs and 6 egg whites

¼ cup melted margarine

Maple syrup or light pancake syrup (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Spritz two 12-cup, nonstick muffin tins with cooking spray.

Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and cook the apple and pear slices until softened, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and continue to heat until the flavors blend, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat.

Blend together the flours, milk, eggs, and margarine with an electric blender until smooth.

Pour the mixture from Step 3 into the muffin tins, filling about ¾ of each muffin cup. Bake 15 minutes or until puffy and golden.

Remove the pancakes from the muffin tins while they're still hot. Top with warm apple-pear mixture. Drizzle with maple syrup or light pancake syrup, if desired, and serve immediately.

Note: These light and airy pancakes are a cross between an omelet and a souffle. For a dramatic rise (puff), substitute bread flour for the all-purpose and whole-wheat flour. The more traditional large German pancake is made in a cast-iron skillet.

Tip: This recipe works best with regular margarine or butter, not light margarine, which has a higher moisture content.

Vary It! Substitute fresh or unsweetened frozen peaches for the apples and pears.

Easy but missing something....

Hello again!  I want to mention that making chicken fingers is not easy.  I had help with it because I was sick and did not want to make John sick.  So, he did most of the dirty work for the recipe. 
       I used a recipe for Finger Lickin' Chicken Fingers from a cookbook I got for hypertension:

Servings: 10

Prep Time: 10 min. Cook time: 12 to 15 min.

Per Serving: CALORIES 144 (from fat 72) FAT 8 g SAT fat 2 g CHOLESTEROL 19 mg

SODIUM 228 mg CARBS 11 g DIETARY FIBER 1 g PROTEIN 8 g POTASSIUM 100 mg

1 cup cornflake crumbs or panko breadcrumbs

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

½ tsp parsley

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp paprika

2 egg whites

½ tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp vegetable oil

1 lb. Chicken tenders

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the crumbs, garlic and onion powders, parsley, pepper, and paprika.

Combine the egg whites, mustard, and oil in a medium bowl and soak the chicken pieces in this mixture.

Drain a few pieces at a time and roll them in the crumb mixture. Place the chicken tenders on a lined baking pan and place the pan in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Turn halfway through the baking process.

Note: For cost savings, purchase whole chicken breasts and cut across the grain in 1-inch strips.

Tip: If you prefer thinner chicken tenders, place the strips between two pieces of heavy-duty plastic wrap and gently pound them with a meat mallet to the desired thickness.

          They were good but were definitely missing something.  You can really taste the spices but it was still bland in a way.  I think next time I will try using different bread crumbs or cornflakes and maybe adding more pepper.

Soups and Stews

For this week, I have had a bit more of a trying time with food.  Temptation surrounds me at work but thankfully the only thing that is readily available is the candy behind the counter.
I have had beef stew for the past few days, due to how the hubby and I have chopped up potatoes and carrots, and then browned the stew meat.  We always have gravy from a jar to make the soup part of the stew.  John was saying that we should maybe put mushrooms in it for an added flavor. 
I'm still looking for different soups to try, along with different chili recipes.  I need to have the meat stick to my bones during the rest of this cold but sometimes warm weather we are having.
I think I would like to try this recipe for Chicken and Noodles that I found in my recipe-a-day office calendar.

You need:
1 lb. chicken
1 (26 oz) can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg egg noodles
2 to 3 bouillon cubes
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:    Boil the chicken in water.  When chicken is done, take out of pot and save water.  Use this as the starter.  Add cream of chicken soup, noodles and bouillon to water.  Cut up chicken and add to pot.  Cook until the noodles are done.  Add salt and pepper to taste.


This and a salad -- yum!!  Homemade is always better than something you get from a can. 

Soon I will tell you about my chicken fingers that I will be making and other recipes that I find!