without giving too many details I hit a big accomplishment for weight today I am official under 1_0 LBS!!!! .... for the first time in about 5 years! (you can fill in the blank as you wish :) ) I am so excited and I seem to have lots of energy. This diet isn't hard to stick to if you like to cook and plan, which are pretty much 2 of my best traits... and talking of course :)
it is all about planning!! I work long days sometimes and I grab my lunch bag and I have lunch, dinner and my fruit already sliced up.
Cheating: I have cheated a couple times, to be honest, I risked being removed from my grandma's will if I didn't have a slice of her homemade Angle Food Cake. I was good, I ate 1 slice and brought the other 4 to work to share and normally I would have made those 5 slices in one serving!!! I also have had a few alcoholic drinks, I am a night-cap person so that is hard for me to give up and a couple days after work it was hard to resist, but I stuck with straight whiskey on the rocks, so no added sugars... but still added calories unfortunately so I exceed my 500 plan on those days :( I noticed that 2 days later my weight loss was reduced to only 1/2 a lb and not the normal 1- 1 1/2 lbs, so I paid the price! I also noticed the same with those miracle noodles. They are filling and taste good when with a sauce but it did effect my weight loss, so I think I will add them along with whole wheat pasta later on, but for now I am staying clear.
I do wish this diet had a free day which is always my saving grace to get rid of a bunch of cravings I have. Although my couple cheats helped a little I sure would love some BACON or CRUSTY BREAD AND BUTTER!!!!
but today I celebrate my milestone as I look forward to the rest of this week and maybe dropping another 3-5 lbs before I end my run this weekend! and who knows after a free weekend and maybe a steak.... maybe I will go another week or 2 starting Monday and lose a few more in my last stretch before Hawaii, it isn't as hard as I thought! Countdown to Hawaii is less than 3 weeks!
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
roasted brussel sprout chips and centers
this is so yummy and so easy!
I buy the microwave in the bag brussel sprouts because depending on the time of the year I can find them at the 99 cent store for a great deal! I do find that raw works a bit better then frozen, but frozen did work just didn't yield as much, so it is still an option if fresh are hard to find.
I start by cooking them about 1/2 way, so if you got a microwave bag of them, follow the directions and cook about half way then let them cool. If you got raw ones, steam until almost fork tender but not done and let them cool.
Making the chips:
Heat oven to 425 and get a baking sheet ready. Cut the ends of the sprouts to loosen the leaves. Slowly separate the outer leaves of the sprouts and place on the baking sheet. you should be able to get a few off each sprout depending on the size and eventually you will get to a center part where it is harder to separate the leaves. These are what I call the centers, put them to the side for another yummy snack or side dish which is detailed below.
Once you have all the leaves pulled off, lay them on a single layer on cookie sheets, top with salt and pepper or seasoning of your choice (I like chili powder and cayenne for a kick!) and spray very lightly with non-fat cooking spray to make them brown. They will take about 10-15 minutes depending on the oven heat and how wet the leaves are. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. They will get nice and crispy like chips. They go great with the chicken nugget recipe I posted earlier...
Making the centers:
take the center portion of the sprout and cut it in half. season with whatever you like and slightly spray with cooking spray to help them brown. you can place them on the same sheet as the chips if you want and just remove the chips when they are done and leave the center for another few minutes. they take about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven and how crispy you like them. They make a great snack or added topping to a salad to give you a bit of extra texture and crunch!
If not on HCG diet:
My recipe for this is the same except normally I drizzle with olive oil or even fry the chips. If you reduce some balsamic vinegar to thicken it and drizzle that and some Parmesan cheese over the chips it is amazing!
I buy the microwave in the bag brussel sprouts because depending on the time of the year I can find them at the 99 cent store for a great deal! I do find that raw works a bit better then frozen, but frozen did work just didn't yield as much, so it is still an option if fresh are hard to find.
I start by cooking them about 1/2 way, so if you got a microwave bag of them, follow the directions and cook about half way then let them cool. If you got raw ones, steam until almost fork tender but not done and let them cool.
 |
| Buffalo shrimp and Brussel Chips |
Making the chips:
Heat oven to 425 and get a baking sheet ready. Cut the ends of the sprouts to loosen the leaves. Slowly separate the outer leaves of the sprouts and place on the baking sheet. you should be able to get a few off each sprout depending on the size and eventually you will get to a center part where it is harder to separate the leaves. These are what I call the centers, put them to the side for another yummy snack or side dish which is detailed below.
Once you have all the leaves pulled off, lay them on a single layer on cookie sheets, top with salt and pepper or seasoning of your choice (I like chili powder and cayenne for a kick!) and spray very lightly with non-fat cooking spray to make them brown. They will take about 10-15 minutes depending on the oven heat and how wet the leaves are. Keep an eye on them so they don't burn. They will get nice and crispy like chips. They go great with the chicken nugget recipe I posted earlier...
Making the centers:
take the center portion of the sprout and cut it in half. season with whatever you like and slightly spray with cooking spray to help them brown. you can place them on the same sheet as the chips if you want and just remove the chips when they are done and leave the center for another few minutes. they take about 15-20 minutes depending on your oven and how crispy you like them. They make a great snack or added topping to a salad to give you a bit of extra texture and crunch!
If not on HCG diet:
My recipe for this is the same except normally I drizzle with olive oil or even fry the chips. If you reduce some balsamic vinegar to thicken it and drizzle that and some Parmesan cheese over the chips it is amazing!
yummy shrimp salad
Cooking the Shrimp
I placed 3.5 oz of shrimp, without the shell or tail on a skewer. I placed on the grill and almost cooked it completely. I knew I was going to freeze them for later in the phase so I knew they would be re-heated in some way and didn't want them to be over-cooked, so under-cooking them a bit helped.
to add some flavor to them I coated them in a salt free seasoning mix which is mostly dried herbs and dried lemon zest. I then lightly sprayed my cast iron pan, turned on very high and through the herb crusted shrimp in there for about 1 minute to crisp them up and warm them up.
Making the Dressing:
- Orange Zest
- juice of a lime/lemon or orange (your choice)
- amino drops
- couple cloves of roasted garlic
- water to get to consistency you want
- seasonings based on your likes (I love fresh herbs)
The roasted garlic cloves are a natural thickener so smash those with a fork and place the rest in a storage container and shake to combine and you will get a surprisingly tasty and naturally thick dressing. Depending on your version of HCG you may be okay to add some greek yogurt to make it a creamy texture. Pureed roasted garlic and onions are natural thickeners and can be used in regular recipes like soups and pasta sauces instead of a cornstarch or butter/flour process. They are great to thicken mac n cheese recipes!
Making the Salad:
now it is time to assemble. Start with a bed of greens, I like the mixed herb greens so you get lots of flavor. I topped with the cooked shrimp, chunks of orange and some left over roasted brussel spouts centers (see recipe). Drizzle the top with the dressing and you have a yummy meal with tons of flavor!
Friday, March 30, 2012
basic tomato sauce for many uses
This is an easy tomato sauce recipe that can be used for many things and for many tastes
Start by eating your oven at 350 degrees.
on a cookie sheet place 1-2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes. This sauce will freeze well so you can make extra for the future. cook the tomatoes until they pop, about 10-20 minutes depending on their size.
Now that you have roasted tomatoes you can make them what you want!
puree the roasted tomatoes in a food processor or use a stick blender in a pot to breakdown the tomatoes. At this point you can add what you want to make it what you like and then simmer for all of the flavors to meld together. I usually thin it out with some water or tea to get more bang for my buck.
Suggestions to add to the sauce for Italian flavors:
add chopped garlic
add roasted garlic
add fresh chopped basil or oregeno
add chopped spinach or sauteed onions
add dried herbs or granulated garlic powder
Suggestions to add to the sauce for Mexican flavors:
add chopped raw onoins
add cilantro
add chopped peppers
add dried herbs
Suggestions to add to the sauce for Asian flavors:
add peppers
add garlic
add mint or cilantro
both versions are good as a warm sauce over meat, or even used to simmer with the meat for a great way to infuse flavor and moisture to chicken. Chilled it is a great sauce for dipping chicken nuggets (see recipe on this blog) or with veggies or your melba toast! If you thin it out a bit more with water or tea, served hot or cold it is a great soup!
Start by eating your oven at 350 degrees.
on a cookie sheet place 1-2 pints of cherry or grape tomatoes. This sauce will freeze well so you can make extra for the future. cook the tomatoes until they pop, about 10-20 minutes depending on their size.
Now that you have roasted tomatoes you can make them what you want!
puree the roasted tomatoes in a food processor or use a stick blender in a pot to breakdown the tomatoes. At this point you can add what you want to make it what you like and then simmer for all of the flavors to meld together. I usually thin it out with some water or tea to get more bang for my buck.
 |
| Italian version of the tomato sauce |
add chopped garlic
add roasted garlic
add fresh chopped basil or oregeno
add chopped spinach or sauteed onions
add dried herbs or granulated garlic powder
Suggestions to add to the sauce for Mexican flavors:
add chopped raw onoins
add cilantro
add chopped peppers
add dried herbs
Suggestions to add to the sauce for Asian flavors:
add peppers
add garlic
add mint or cilantro
both versions are good as a warm sauce over meat, or even used to simmer with the meat for a great way to infuse flavor and moisture to chicken. Chilled it is a great sauce for dipping chicken nuggets (see recipe on this blog) or with veggies or your melba toast! If you thin it out a bit more with water or tea, served hot or cold it is a great soup!
HCG Italian Chicken Nuggets
yesterday I made some great Italian Chicken Nuggets that are HCG approved.
Italian Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients:
3.5 oz chicken tenders (usually about 2 tenders) cut into 6 total pieces
2 tablespoons Liquid Aminos
2 Melba Toasts (crushed into crumbs)
seasonings of your choice (I choose salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder and Italian seasoning)
Pre-heat oven 375
Marinating and breading the chicken:
I marinated the chopped chicken pieces in the liquid amino drops to add more flavor to the meat. Longer you let it marinade the more flavor you get, I only let it sit for 30 minutes and it was still effective. Once the chicken has marinated place the crushed Melba toast crumbs in a baggie along with the seasonings of your choice and add the marinated chicken. keeping some of the toast crumbs in larger chunks gave it even more crunch! In this version I found that the marinade provided enough moisture to allow the toast crumbs to stick to the chicken just fine without the normal egg and flour wash process.
Cooking the nuggets:
Place the Melba breaded chicken nuggets on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and very lightly sprayed them with some non-fat cooking spray (very lightly is key here!). The cooling rack allows the heat to get on both sides of the chicken which allows both sides to get crispy evenly without having to flip them. The cooking spray also helps the bread crumbs brown giving you a fried effect. Cook for about 12-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Eating the nuggets:
I served mine with a homemade marinara sauce for dipping. I will post that recipe next. Please note this recipe can be changed into many things and used in many ways depending on your tastes and needs. I made 12 nuggets total and used the other 6 for lunch the next day. I diced them up and placed them over a bunch of mixed greens and topped with an easy dressing that I will also post! they were great the next day, even cold!
 |
| Italian Chicken Nuggets with dipping sauce and apples |
Ingredients:
3.5 oz chicken tenders (usually about 2 tenders) cut into 6 total pieces
2 tablespoons Liquid Aminos
2 Melba Toasts (crushed into crumbs)
seasonings of your choice (I choose salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder and Italian seasoning)
Pre-heat oven 375
Marinating and breading the chicken:
I marinated the chopped chicken pieces in the liquid amino drops to add more flavor to the meat. Longer you let it marinade the more flavor you get, I only let it sit for 30 minutes and it was still effective. Once the chicken has marinated place the crushed Melba toast crumbs in a baggie along with the seasonings of your choice and add the marinated chicken. keeping some of the toast crumbs in larger chunks gave it even more crunch! In this version I found that the marinade provided enough moisture to allow the toast crumbs to stick to the chicken just fine without the normal egg and flour wash process.
Cooking the nuggets:
Place the Melba breaded chicken nuggets on a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet and very lightly sprayed them with some non-fat cooking spray (very lightly is key here!). The cooling rack allows the heat to get on both sides of the chicken which allows both sides to get crispy evenly without having to flip them. The cooking spray also helps the bread crumbs brown giving you a fried effect. Cook for about 12-15 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Eating the nuggets:
I served mine with a homemade marinara sauce for dipping. I will post that recipe next. Please note this recipe can be changed into many things and used in many ways depending on your tastes and needs. I made 12 nuggets total and used the other 6 for lunch the next day. I diced them up and placed them over a bunch of mixed greens and topped with an easy dressing that I will also post! they were great the next day, even cold!
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
back on round 2
I have managed to keep off 4 of the 6 lbs I lost when I started this in February. I had to end it short due to a cold, but I am back now!
I startedmy load up days on Sunday and today started the restricted diet. I have had my apple and had a great lunch with the special soy noodles, shrimp and spinach. added some pepper flakes for a real kick, it was so filling I didn't finish all of the noodles!
I have a mixed greens salad with some grilled chicken for dinner. I had already cooked shrimp and chicken and had it measured it out and put it in the freezer last time, so it was super easy to pull out of the freezer and have it all ready! fingers crossed for round 2
I startedmy load up days on Sunday and today started the restricted diet. I have had my apple and had a great lunch with the special soy noodles, shrimp and spinach. added some pepper flakes for a real kick, it was so filling I didn't finish all of the noodles!
I have a mixed greens salad with some grilled chicken for dinner. I had already cooked shrimp and chicken and had it measured it out and put it in the freezer last time, so it was super easy to pull out of the freezer and have it all ready! fingers crossed for round 2
Thursday, March 15, 2012
funny pictures
If I get down, I can always check this post for some funny pics.... don't take offense to what I think is funny...if you don't think it is funny, then move on to the next page... this world wouldn't be unique if we all liked and disliked the same things, it is what makes us special, so don't judge!
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