Taking chances in the kitchen

Hello all!  I am busy getting prepared for the start of the year.  I have been in my classroom everyday for the past week and a half and I am so excited for school to start! 

Even though I am SUPER busy, it is important for me to still take time to eat right and exercise.  I have been making time to run (even if it's just a little) in the mornings so it is out of the way and I don't have to worry about it when I get home. 

I had the opportunity to try Arnold's Sandwich Thins.  You may have seen them on foodbuzz or in stores.  I love them because you can see the good grains right in them.  They are also high in fiber and low in calories.  Perfect for a quick meal on the run on busy days.

You may be wondering why I titled this post taking chances.  Although I LOVE to cook and make modications to recipes I find all the time, I rarely come up with a recipe all on my own.  I have been cooking for about two years so I still consider myself a novice.  I am proud to say this recipe was created completley by me!!  The only stipulation by Foodbuzz was to have something grilled :)

I started by marinating a pound of pork in italian dressing all day.  Then, I grilled it on my george foreman about 12 minutes.

Then, I cut it into strips perfect for a pork sandwich. 

I love the grill marks!

I don't know about you, but I LOVE red and yellow peppers.  I love the sweetness, the bright colors, and the crunch. 

I cut each pepper into strips, then grilled those too.  I do not like overcooking vegetable, so I left the strips in the foreman only about 3 minutes.

Then, it was time to put it all together!  I sprinkled a little mozzarella on the bottom of each sandwich, then topped with pork and peppers.

It was pretty yummy if I say so myself :)

Has anyone tried any new food products lately??

Birthday Celebration

It is Personal Trainer Josh's birthday today!  To celebrate I took him to his favorite sushi buffet.  Here are some highlights:

This was my favorite- spicy dragon roll

Finished up with some seaweed salad--another favorite of ours

The water fountain in front of restaurant has goldfish!

After dinner we burned some calories by taking a walk in a nearby park.

I also tried making Paula Deen's "better than sex" cake.  It's delicious!!  It is yellow cake with pineapple, vanilla pudding, whipped cream and toasted coconut.  It tastes better than my decorating skills show :)

Do you have a favorite celebration restaurant??

Money saving Tip...and it's Healthy Too!!

Josh and I have sworn off processed lunchmeats.  We were in the bad habit of turning to them almost everyday for our lunches.  I hope you all know how bad they are for you!  Anything that is that processed shouldn't go in your body consistently. 

So, we decided to go another route when shopping at Stew Leonard's.  I bought a naked rotissiere chicken.  Naked means it's organic and natural.  This chicken amazingly lasted us TWO weeks! For $5.99, it made us about eight sandwiches.  Now this was what was left of this bird this morning.

I used it to make chicken stock by simmering it in hot water for about an hour. I also added fresh parsley and basil. My apartment smelled fantastic!

Then smiply use a slotted spoon to remove bone. The meat falls right off the bone!

Grilled Chicken and Fried Zucchini

I never ate hot sauce until I met Josh, now I cannot get enough!  When a college friend of mine facebooked about using Frank's Red Hot Sauce to marinate chicken, I couldn't resist trying it!  This morning, I poked holes in the skinless chicken, and let it sit in the sauce.

Then, I simply grilled it on my foreman.  The sauce made the chicken so juicy and moist!!  What an excellent idea!

I also have a plethora of zucchini from my mom's garden so I decided to try to frying it.  I got this recipe from Cooks.com.

In a bowl, mix one egg, 1/3 cup low-fat milk (I used rice milk), 1 cup flour (I used oat) and salt and pepper to taste.  Add water or flour to thin or thicken the batter if neccesary. 

Cut zucchini into steak fry size.  KEEP the peel on!! Dredge the zukes into the batter and depp fry in 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil.

***Here's a tip I learned from Rachael Ray.  To tell if oil is ready, stick a wooden spoon it center of pot.  If bubbles rapidly come up from around it, the oil's ready.

The Finished Products

 

Progress!

Hello friends!  Hope you are beating the heat.  Recently I told you about how I will be running my first 5K at the end of September...feeling nervous/excited!  I will start intense training late this month, but I have been running with Josh in the morning two or three times a week.  I have run each time straight without stopping!! This is a major accomplishment for me.  I don't know if it is having a running partner, or the goal event of the end of next month, but I am very motivated to turn myself into a full-fledged runner!!  We have also been doing yoga which stops achy muscles after running.  Coupled with those, I am working my abs, arms and core using Perfect Push Up and Perfect Pull Up with ab straps.  If you are thinking about purchasing it, I highly recommend it!!  On day 3 of 21, I am already seeing and feeling results.

When working out in the morning, it is important for me to have a nutrious breakfast.  I recently got the opportunity to try Kellogg's new cereals, FiberPlus.  Along with Cinnamon Oat which is pictured, there is Berry and Yogurt.  I enjoyed the cereals, but didn't see anything spectacular about them.  They tasted good but I would prefer to get my morning fiber through oatmeal or fruit.  What does anyone else out there think?

I'll leave you tonight with a picture from tonight's dinner.  I used zuchinni, basil and parsely fresh from my mom's garden as add ins to pasta sauce, along with shrimp, and poured it over whole wheat pasta. 

What did you have for dinner tonight?

Sometimes Plan B is better...

This past weekend Josh took me out to dinner to celebrate my job position.  We decided to try Plan B, which is restuarant with a few locations in Connecticut that I have been wanting to try for years.  It is natural so you don't have to worry about what you are putting in your mouth (or your kids, it is very family friendly!)

I was immediately impressed because although it was a crowded Saturday night, we were addressed right away and there was only a thirty minute wait.  While we waited for our table, I tried a beer.  Plan B is famous for its burgers and booze.  I like light beers so I had Hooker Blonde Ale.

A perfect way to start the weekend!













When we sat, we were taken aback by the menu choices.  Josh and I immediately decided we need to come back to this place to try more things!! For an appetizer we had portobello mushroom fries.  The mushroom wedges are covered with breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese and served with a ranch and a horseradish sauce.

As you can see, they were so good Josh didn't stop eating them long enough for me to take the pic!  Another thing I loved about the place was the fact that I didn't feel weird at all whipping out my cell phone to take pics of the deliciouness.

For my entree I decided on the New Englander.  It is natural beef burger topped with corn, tomato, and LOBSTER.  It was as mouth watering as it sounds.  I paired it with organic field greens.

I will definately be back to Plan B, and I would recommend it to anyone!

First 5k!

I went wedding dress shopping today and it added to my realization that I have gained weight through focusing on the classroom, my part-time job and moving.  Not a lot, but some dresses were snugger than I would like!
Josh and I recently registered for a 5k!!  It is my first.  Josh has been a serious runner for most of his life, so it will be easy for him.  I plan on beginning training soon.  I got "5 weeks to your first 5k" on Runner's World's website. 
I am excited to train my body to run again for an extended amount of time.  Not only will it help me tone, it is something Josh and I can do together!

Anyone out there have tips on 5k training?  I would love to hear it!

Hot Hot Hot!

***sorry for no pictures!  I made an error when uploading the pics and lost them!

On swelterting hot days like today I do not feel like eating anything but ice cream and water! The thought of standing in a noiling kitchen is exhausting.  But, I did not let this stop me from preparing a nutrious dinner!  Last night we had leftover burgers.  To add extra flavor I topped mine with homemade guac.

Tonight I changed it up and made pasta with peas and sausage. (adapted from Family Circle)

I started with al fresco chicken sausage, roasted garlic flavor.  I cut the whole package into about 1/2 inch rounds.  Then I browned them up in a little evoo and set aside.

In the same pan, I mixed together about 2 cups pasta sauce, a cup frozen peas, and 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Heat through, then add to your favorite pasta!  I used penne.

Hope everyone's staying cool!  I am off to prepare for an interview I have tomorrow morning.

I missed you!

Hello blog world; I am BACK!!!  I realized how much I missed blogging and communicating with you all on my recent vacation.  I visited with my sister and brother-in-law who live in the Northwest.  I love that part of the country!  It is so advanced in "being green" and healthy that I knew when I got home I had to get back to blogging!

Not much is knew...Josh and I have not gotten very far on the wedding plans aside from the year (2012).  I had a great end to the school year and now a great vacation where I got to climb Mount Saint Helens and see the Pacific coast!  It is such a beautiful area...you are truly lucky if you live out there!

I have given myself two challenges this summer.  First, Josh and I are going to visit and hike as many state parks in the area as we can.Here are a few pics from our first hike:

Also, I am giving myself a challenge of Eating Well. You may be familar with the magazine and cookbooks.  I am going to only prepare Eating Well recipes for dinner this summer.  Tonight I made Cornmeal Crusted Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard Sauce.  I was kinda weary of blackberry and mustard together but the end result was delicious!

Here is the link to the recipe

Along with it I prepared fried zucchini with garlic powder and scallions, and salad.  I made a quick dressing with mustard, balsamic vinegar and honey...yum!

Here is the complete meal

Are you trying anything new this summer?

Be Back in a While...

Hello wonderfuls...

I recently obtained a wonderful third grade class of 20 students.  Long story short, I have a LOT going on with the full-time job, the part-time job, applying to grad school, babysitting.  Oh yeah, and spending time with my fiance and family.  Whew.  I will be returning to posting recipes when I get re-adjusted to my new schedule with my 3rd graders.  Anyone who knows anyone who's a teacher knows it takes a lot of lesson planning in the beginning!  I will continue to read your blogs---can't stay away from that!!

Thanks
Amanda

Chobani Winner, Exciting News and a Delicious Meal!

Whew!  What a weekend!  First, my personal exciting news: Personal Trainer Josh and I are engaged!  Yesterday was our two year anniversary, and Josh proposed on Friday.  We could not be happier.

Newly engaged

Secondly, I had an interview for a long-term position in a third grade classroom.  Here's me, dressed my best thanks to Healthy Mom on the Run, ready to go. 

I got the position!  I am very excited to start a new position with a new group of students tomorrow morning.


Finally...the winner of the Cho-case is AnneMarie!  YAY I love your blog!  Email me at pens26@gmail.com with your contact info so I can let Shari at Chobani know.  Congrats, AnneMarie!


Finally, tonight's dinner is a delicous recipe is NOT weight watchers..Shocking I know.  I borrowed the recipe from a fave blog of mine: A Kitchen in Brooklyn.   You can find the recipe here.


Orzo with Turkey Sausage and Broccoli Rabe  8 points

Yum steamed broccoli rabe...love the color!

I like using whole grape tomatoes...cut em up if you like, or use cherry tomatoes!

The finished product...Josh and I will be eating this for dinner after work later..can't wait!

Quick post and run

Two things to tell you all!

1) Check out my guest post on a favorite blog of mine: Namaste Mari

2) Don't forget to enter my Chobani giveaway!


I am working tons this weekend so I don't know if I'll get to post.  My new part-time job is at Michael's Crafts.  Do you have any crafty hobbies?

Chobani Giveaway

Chobani was nice enough to send me a sample pack...AND you can get one too!!

Why Chobani?

The thick texture leaves you satisfied and filled.  Also, the plain and vanilla flavors are great in cooking and baking!  I made a yogurt bread with chobani...the moistness was unbelieveable! ALSO, most of the flavors are fat free!

Here's how to get your CHO-case:

1) Be a follower of Train Your Life

2) Post about this giveaway on your blog

AND

3) Visit Chobani's website and tell me what recipe you are most likely to make and why.

I will randomly pick a winner on Monday, April 26th!

Have a fantastic day!

Manic Monday

Hello all!  My schedule is all mixed up this week because school is on vacation, so instead I am nannying for a family I regularly babysit for.  I only had a half day today, so afterwards I went out to lunch to Chili's with my mom and niece. 

I was happy to see Chili's offers to switch any of their burgers to a black bean burger!  Since I knew I was making steak tonight, that's what I did. 

Josh's brother gave us these beautiful steaks...a great gift!

Before cutting steak, I cut slits into them and rub with garlic and sprinkled with lime juice.

I paired it with a salsa from WW. 

1/2 avocado

1 cup corn
1 cup black beans
2 TB fresh cilantro
4 tsp lime juice
salt and pepper


3 1/2 oz steak and 1/2 cup salsa is 6  points..not bad!

Upside Down Pizza

After a hectic week, upside down pizza is fitting for our weekend lunch!  Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to show you all something.  Last night Personal Trainer Josh and I indulged in some chinese food.  We both got out of work after nine, and I was not in the mood to cook! 

Josh had General Tso's with pork fried rice

I had chicken with cashews with the sauce on the side.

Seeing these two dishes side by side amazed me.  Looks how healthy chinese food looks without the sauce!  The sauce of General Tso's totally depletes all the good stuff out of broccoli.  Not that it isn't delicious :)  Oh how I miss pork fried rice!  But, I did feel good about my choice.  The restaurant gave me about 2 cups of sauce to go with my dinner.  I used only 1/4 cup and still felt satisfied and had the "being naughty" take-out feeling!

Onto the pizza..this recipe instantly attracted me because I LOVE peppers and onions on pizza.  This recipe is adapted from WW...5 points per slice

Thinly chop 2 peppers, any color you like.  I chose red and green because they were on sale this week.  Love the colors!  Also thinly chop a small onion. 

In a large skillet, sprayed with nonstick spray, cook peppers and onion, about 5 minutes.  Just until tender.  Take off heat and sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups low-fat mozzarella. 

Roll out 1 lb of pizza dough. I used whole wheat dough because it's healthier and I like the taste.  The recipe called for regular dough, so use whatever you'd like!  Roll it out to your skillet size.  Place on top of peppers and prick in several places with a fork.

Put in bottom of 450 degree oven for 20 minutes.

When done, take out and flip upside down onto plate.  Sprinkle with parm cheese if you'd like.

My mouth started watering when I saw out this came out...SO DELICOUS.

What's your favorite pizza topping?

Chicken Pad Yum

Tonight's post is gonna be a quick recipe and run...got lots to do around the house!


Chicken Pad Thai (adapted from WW) 7 points


6 oz rice noodles
1/3 cup ketchup
1 TB sugar
1 TB fish sauce
2 tsp dark sesame oil

1 large egg, slightly beaten

1 cup shredded cooked chicken
4 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, micned
2 TB finely chopped unsalted peanuts


1. Cook noodles according to package directions and drain.  Run under cold water

2. Meanwhile, stir together ketchups, sugar, hoisin sauce together in small bowl.

3. Heat 1 tsp of oil in large nonstick skillet over med-high heat.  Add egg and cook, stirring occasionally, until set, and transfer to bowl.

4. Heat remanining 1 tsp of oil in skillet.  Add chicken, garlic, and cook, until scallions sodten.  Add noddles and cook until heated through, 1-2 minutes.  Stir in ketchup mixture and the egg, tossing until heated through.  Sprinkle 1/2 TB peanuts over 1 1/4 cups of the noodle mixture.

I love when I can slim down a favorite food.


What's your favorite Asian dish?  Do you have a way to make it healthier?

NO EXCUSES

I have had a lot going on with trying to find a long-term sub position and starting another part-time job.  Also, the warm weather does not make me wanna sit typing on my laptop :)  I feel like I have been neglecting all of your blogs!  I apoligize, I just have to get re-adjusted to my new schedule!

This weekend I was able to get  a hilly walk in on my parents' properties.  Yesterday, between jobs, I did a mile run.  Some people are surprised with me when I tell them I fit in exercise between jobs, they think I am overdoing it.  The way I see it, if I said I am too busy to exercise because I work multiple jobs, I would just be making excuses. You can fit in anything you want to fit in...and exercise is crucial to fit into even the most hectic schedule! I still have a lot of weight to lose so it's NO EXCUSES for me :)

Tonight's dinner was pork chops and kale.  Adapted from WW- 6 points

I like the small ones...they cook quicker!

Take 24 oz of pork chops and seasons with salt and pepper.  Heat a tsp of evoo in a skillet over med-high heat.  Brown the chops, about 5 minutes then transfer to a plate.

Add one thinly sliced onion and 1/4 cup water to the skillet and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer, with the cover until onions are tender (12-15 mins).

Sprinkle the onions with 2 tsp flour and stir constantly for one minute.  Add 1 cup broth, 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp ground thyme.  Bring to a boil and stir until sauce bubbles and thickens.  Return chops to skillet.  Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until chops are heated through again.


This sauce smelled so good once it started bubbling!







I served with steamed kale...just steamed and sprinkled with some crushed red pepper and some lemon zest.

I LOVE pork.  I like making porkchops like these, and also stuffed porkchops.  How do you prepare pork?

Eating Less

Due to some emotional eating lately, my weight has been flucuating the past couple weeks.  One way I am going to help get my weight back down is Portion Control.  Josh and I love munching on these rice cakes from Aldi:

They are so yummy!  However, we sometimes found ourselves consuming the whole bag rather quickly.

My solution?  Separate the rice cakes into suggested serving size right when I get the bag home!

Each serving is about nine rice cakes.  So when I get home from the grocery store, I take all snacks that are in a bag like this, and separate them into serving sized bags.

This way, Josh and I are not tempted to overeat.  If you are wondered about bag use like I am, just resue the bags!

What's your favorite snack?

Chicken Florentine

I must have been craving cheese when I menu planned for the week because this is the second of three meals for my week with tons of cheese!  Must be the Italian in me :D

This recipe is adapted from WW Momentum (9 pts)

In  a large skillet heat extra virgin olive oil and toasted a chopped small onion.  Add 20 ounces frozen spinach that has been drained.  Season with salt and pepper.  When most of the water is out, put in a square 8 inch dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Next, wipe out the skillet and heat another tsp of olive oil over high heat.  Cook 4 (5 oz) chicken breasts for 2 mins on each side.  It doesn't have to be cooked through.  Place on top of spinach mixture.

Top with 1 cup of low-fat mozzarella and 2 TB parm cheese.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  About ten minutes in, boil water and cook 4 oz whole wheat pasta.  Top the pasta with 1/2 cup tomato sauce when done.  Serve with spinach casserole.

Smelled delicous.  Looked delicious.  TASTED delicious.  and was nutritious :) I love getting protein and veggies in, in one shot!

What did you make for dinner tonight?