As January ends and February begins, I am happy to report I met my January Lifestyle plan goal and have lost 15 pounds and kept it off for the month. For those of you that follow my blog, you know that I have been cooking fresh, low calorie, low sugar meals for us and following my lifestyle plan.
January is a very busy, stressful month for me at work. Not only do I have to keep up with my daily workload, but I also have year-end posting, reconcilations, payroll taxes for 4th qtr, year-end, W-2's and 1099's to get out. So knowing all of this, with lots of extra hours worked, and the high stress, I am so super excited that I lost and kept off 15 pounds in January!
Also, as we end January I ask that you pray for Terry and I. The Lord is opening up opportunities for us at this time and we ask you to pray for us as we follow that He will provide and the transition will be easy.
Now off to set my February Lifestyle Plan Goals and go get on the treadmill.
Blessings!
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Friday, January 18, 2013
In the Beginning...
Well, I meant to blog and update you the 15th of the month on my progress but that just didn't happen so I'm 3 days late. It's January 18, 2013 and here is a little update on my progress so far this year:
"In the Beginning"
After another mentally exhausting week at work, I am happy to report 18 days after getting back on my Lifestyle Plan on Jan. 1, 2013, that I have lost 12 pounds. Other than being more stressed than normal from my ever-growing workload, I feel good. As I told you the first of the year, I am preparing and eating fresh meats, vegetables and fruits, cutting out as much processed food as possible, cutting out sugars, watching portion sizes, walking on the treadmill and get back into my Wii boxing and Wii Zumba fitness (I love playing while exercising). I am not taking diet pills, just a multi-vitamin, B12 and drinking lots of water, water, and more water. I keep reminding myself that God made me in his image and I am uniquely and wonderfully made.; I am realistic and have set realistic goals. My goal is feel better in my own skin and maintain my weight loss so I don't have to start back here again in the future.
I know many of you set goals and started something new or have gone back to a specific program, plan or exercise routine that works for you this new year and I wish you all luck in whatever you are doing. Praying whatever plan or program you are doing works and you are achieving your goals as well!
If you are a reader, you know the first chapter of the book sets the stage and introduces many of the characters of the book, well Genesis is "The Beginning" and sets the timeline and gives you historical data in this great book called the Bible. Today, I am reading day 18 in Genesis of my Kindle version of "Reading God's Story: One-Year Chronological Bible" just as I set the goal the first of the year to read thru this devotional one day at a time. It's a real page turner and hard to put down.
It has not been easy, especially with my stress level at work, but I have to say I am pleased with my results so far and pray I can continue to achieve my goals and feel better doing it.
I will update you again the first of February with my January results.
Saying a little prayer for you now; good night my friend.
"In the Beginning"
After another mentally exhausting week at work, I am happy to report 18 days after getting back on my Lifestyle Plan on Jan. 1, 2013, that I have lost 12 pounds. Other than being more stressed than normal from my ever-growing workload, I feel good. As I told you the first of the year, I am preparing and eating fresh meats, vegetables and fruits, cutting out as much processed food as possible, cutting out sugars, watching portion sizes, walking on the treadmill and get back into my Wii boxing and Wii Zumba fitness (I love playing while exercising). I am not taking diet pills, just a multi-vitamin, B12 and drinking lots of water, water, and more water. I keep reminding myself that God made me in his image and I am uniquely and wonderfully made.; I am realistic and have set realistic goals. My goal is feel better in my own skin and maintain my weight loss so I don't have to start back here again in the future.
I know many of you set goals and started something new or have gone back to a specific program, plan or exercise routine that works for you this new year and I wish you all luck in whatever you are doing. Praying whatever plan or program you are doing works and you are achieving your goals as well!
If you are a reader, you know the first chapter of the book sets the stage and introduces many of the characters of the book, well Genesis is "The Beginning" and sets the timeline and gives you historical data in this great book called the Bible. Today, I am reading day 18 in Genesis of my Kindle version of "Reading God's Story: One-Year Chronological Bible" just as I set the goal the first of the year to read thru this devotional one day at a time. It's a real page turner and hard to put down.
It has not been easy, especially with my stress level at work, but I have to say I am pleased with my results so far and pray I can continue to achieve my goals and feel better doing it.
I will update you again the first of February with my January results.
Saying a little prayer for you now; good night my friend.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
6+ meals prepped in just an hour
I just prepped 6 Crock Pot Meals and (3) 1.5 pd bags of ground turkey to be used for another 3 meals, all in just an hour. I love planning our meals, shopping from a list and prepping our meals in advance. We work hard and after work we just don't want to have to think about what's for dinner tonight and start prepping and cooking when we get home from work. I grocery shop Friday or Saturday and then Sunday afternoon prep my meals for the next week, and in this case, we are covered for two weeks. I've been asked to share so here goes...
My tricks of the trade are as follows:
Print my recipes
Make my shopping list from the recipes always checking the pantry, fridge and freezer first
I buy in bulk when I can, large amounts of meats, veggies, etc.
I start my prep by pulling out of the vegetables, herb, spices, broth, sauces, etc.
I cut all my onions, garlic, etc. first
I write the name of the recipe and date the gallon size freezer zip lock bag along with how to cook it (crock pot, oven or skillet, temp, how long to cook etc.)
I work with one meat a time.
I then add the vegetables, spices, liquids and be sure the air is out of the bag, zip and sit in the fridge.
I then go the next meat.
This week I also purchased a bulk package of 5 lbs of Ground Turkey Breast and split it into 3 - 1.5 pds per freezer bag so I have meat for 3 meals for either tacos, spaghetti, chili or meatloaf. All I have to do is move the bag the day before from freezer to fridge and can cook that night.
Once all the bags are done I decide what we will have this week (today I made enough for 2 weeks). I left the bags of what we will be eating this week in the fridge and moved the other bags to the freezer, ready for next week.
Now, saying all of that, if you cook in the crockpot, note to self always be sure it is plugged in and turned on before leaving the house. I forgot to plug in and had to throw out a delicious meal I had planned last week. BTW, I use 4 chicken breasts or boneless pork chops in my recipes so we have 2 meals out of it, all of the recipes can be made with 6 breasts or boneless pork chops. These are all low calorie and low sodium meals.
We will be having:
Rotel Chicken (for crock pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
2 cans Original Rotel Tomatoes
4 Garlic Cloves
1 onion, finely chopped
Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed.
Savory Chicken (for crock pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
1 Onion, finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
3-4 Bay Leaves (remove after cooking)
1/2 cup Worchestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth.
Cavenders Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed.
Sweet Potato Chicken (for crock-pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 Onion, chopped
1 TBSP Ginger
1 TBSP Cloves
1 TBSP Nutmeg
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Breasts
1 can Cream of Chicken (optional)
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed. I will serve this with steamed green beans or a salad.
Teriyaki Chicken (for crock-pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
1 bag small, peeled, Carrots
1 Onion, cut in large chunks
2 cans Pineapple Chunks (add juice too), or 1 large pineapple cored and cut in chunks and add juice
4 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed. Please note you can add fresh broccoli when you place in the crockpot.
Beef Roast (for crock-pot) (I made 2 of these, one for this week, one for a wk in the future)
Pot Roast, London Broil, etc
1 bag small, peeled Carrots
1 Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Worchestershire Sauce
1 pkg dried Onion Soup Mix
Cavenders Greek Seasoning
Fresh Rosemary (just a few sprigs)
1 cup water
-Season roast with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed. Please note you can add potatoes, an hour before done cooking or from the start).
Turkey Spaghetti (for skillet)
1.5-2 pds Ground Turkey Breast
1 Onion, chopped
4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 cup Dried Basil or Chopped Fresh Basil
1 can Tomato Sauce (or 2 fresh pureed tomatoes)
2 Jars Berloni Organic Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce
1 pkg Angel Hair Pasta (reg, whole wheat, etc)
-Brown meat. While meat is browning, saute onion and garlic, drain any grease (should be little to none), add sauted onion, garlic, Cavender's, stir. Add 2 jars of sauce, add can of Tomato Sauce. Simmer on low for 30+ minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Boil pasta according to box directions, drain and serve with fresh parmesean.
Bon Appetit!
My tricks of the trade are as follows:
Print my recipes
Make my shopping list from the recipes always checking the pantry, fridge and freezer first
I buy in bulk when I can, large amounts of meats, veggies, etc.
I start my prep by pulling out of the vegetables, herb, spices, broth, sauces, etc.
I cut all my onions, garlic, etc. first
I write the name of the recipe and date the gallon size freezer zip lock bag along with how to cook it (crock pot, oven or skillet, temp, how long to cook etc.)
I work with one meat a time.
I then add the vegetables, spices, liquids and be sure the air is out of the bag, zip and sit in the fridge.
I then go the next meat.
This week I also purchased a bulk package of 5 lbs of Ground Turkey Breast and split it into 3 - 1.5 pds per freezer bag so I have meat for 3 meals for either tacos, spaghetti, chili or meatloaf. All I have to do is move the bag the day before from freezer to fridge and can cook that night.
Once all the bags are done I decide what we will have this week (today I made enough for 2 weeks). I left the bags of what we will be eating this week in the fridge and moved the other bags to the freezer, ready for next week.
Now, saying all of that, if you cook in the crockpot, note to self always be sure it is plugged in and turned on before leaving the house. I forgot to plug in and had to throw out a delicious meal I had planned last week. BTW, I use 4 chicken breasts or boneless pork chops in my recipes so we have 2 meals out of it, all of the recipes can be made with 6 breasts or boneless pork chops. These are all low calorie and low sodium meals.
We will be having:
Rotel Chicken (for crock pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
2 cans Original Rotel Tomatoes
4 Garlic Cloves
1 onion, finely chopped
Fresh Cilantro (chopped)
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed.
Savory Chicken (for crock pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
1 Onion, finely chopped
4 Garlic Cloves, minced
3-4 Bay Leaves (remove after cooking)
1/2 cup Worchestershire Sauce
1 1/2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth.
Cavenders Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed.
Sweet Potato Chicken (for crock-pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 Onion, chopped
1 TBSP Ginger
1 TBSP Cloves
1 TBSP Nutmeg
1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Breasts
1 can Cream of Chicken (optional)
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed. I will serve this with steamed green beans or a salad.
Teriyaki Chicken (for crock-pot)
4 Chicken Breasts
1 bag small, peeled, Carrots
1 Onion, cut in large chunks
2 cans Pineapple Chunks (add juice too), or 1 large pineapple cored and cut in chunks and add juice
4 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
-Season chicken breasts with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed. Please note you can add fresh broccoli when you place in the crockpot.
Beef Roast (for crock-pot) (I made 2 of these, one for this week, one for a wk in the future)
Pot Roast, London Broil, etc
1 bag small, peeled Carrots
1 Onion, finely chopped
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 cup Worchestershire Sauce
1 pkg dried Onion Soup Mix
Cavenders Greek Seasoning
Fresh Rosemary (just a few sprigs)
1 cup water
-Season roast with Cavenders, place in the bottom of ziplock and add rest of ingredients. Cook in Crock Pot on Low for 6-8 hrs. Move back from freezer to fridge the day before. It can be cooked even if not totally thawed. Please note you can add potatoes, an hour before done cooking or from the start).
Turkey Spaghetti (for skillet)
1.5-2 pds Ground Turkey Breast
1 Onion, chopped
4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced
1/2 cup Dried Basil or Chopped Fresh Basil
1 can Tomato Sauce (or 2 fresh pureed tomatoes)
2 Jars Berloni Organic Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce
1 pkg Angel Hair Pasta (reg, whole wheat, etc)
-Brown meat. While meat is browning, saute onion and garlic, drain any grease (should be little to none), add sauted onion, garlic, Cavender's, stir. Add 2 jars of sauce, add can of Tomato Sauce. Simmer on low for 30+ minutes, stirring occasionally to keep from burning. Boil pasta according to box directions, drain and serve with fresh parmesean.
Bon Appetit!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The Bible & Pomegranate Chicken Breasts
Finally made it to Saturday! This has been a very long week and thankful I am getting better from "the crud" that is going around.
This week we ended a year (or a chapter in this book of life as I like to call it )and began a new year (a new chapter). I started the new year off with a new devotional/bible study that I am reading from home and really enjoying it.
I grew up in church, Sunday school, children's church, youth group, college group, church camps and even went to private christian school. I gave my life to the Lord at a young age. I have read the bible from cover to cover many times over and every opportunity I have to re-read the bible, it seems that I learn something new or I'm reminded of a bible story that I had forgotten. You are never too old or too young to read the bible and experience God's word in today's world. If you are still looking for a new devotional or bible study as you start this new year, I highly recommend "Reading God's Story: One Year Chronological Plan" and reading Ivy May's Daily Blog along with it (refer to my previous blog post for links). I just finished reading Day 5 and again find myself thinking about things from a different perspective; God is opening my eyes through His word.
It's Saturday, Terry now is getting "the crud" and I just got him settled and medicated, Now I've moved on to prepping dinner for this evening. This is a new recipe that I have never made before, found on www.skinnyms.com, and thought I would share with you. It has an interesting list of fresh ingredients, low calorie and sounds absolutely delicious. I will let you know how it tastes in 4-6 hrs.
This week we ended a year (or a chapter in this book of life as I like to call it )and began a new year (a new chapter). I started the new year off with a new devotional/bible study that I am reading from home and really enjoying it.
I grew up in church, Sunday school, children's church, youth group, college group, church camps and even went to private christian school. I gave my life to the Lord at a young age. I have read the bible from cover to cover many times over and every opportunity I have to re-read the bible, it seems that I learn something new or I'm reminded of a bible story that I had forgotten. You are never too old or too young to read the bible and experience God's word in today's world. If you are still looking for a new devotional or bible study as you start this new year, I highly recommend "Reading God's Story: One Year Chronological Plan" and reading Ivy May's Daily Blog along with it (refer to my previous blog post for links). I just finished reading Day 5 and again find myself thinking about things from a different perspective; God is opening my eyes through His word.
It's Saturday, Terry now is getting "the crud" and I just got him settled and medicated, Now I've moved on to prepping dinner for this evening. This is a new recipe that I have never made before, found on www.skinnyms.com, and thought I would share with you. It has an interesting list of fresh ingredients, low calorie and sounds absolutely delicious. I will let you know how it tastes in 4-6 hrs.
Slow Cooker Pomegranate Chicken Breasts
Yields: 4 | Serving size: 1 breasts | Calories: 279 | Previous Points: 6 | Points Plus: 7 | Total Fat: 10 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Trans Fats: 0 g | Cholesterol: 73 mg | Sodium: 225 mg | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Dietary fiber: 1 g | Sugars: 17 g | Protein: 26 g
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless (1.5 – 2 lbs)
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Kosher or sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice, (no sugar added)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Directions
In a small mixing bowl combine all the herbs and spices.
Whisk together in a large mixing bowl the herbs, spices and the extra virgin olive oil. Rinse chicken, pat dry with a paper towel. Coat chicken with the herb and oil mixture, place in the slow-cooker. Note: this method of rubbing olive oil on the chicken before adding to the slow-cooker helps to seal in the moisture.
Whisk together in a medium mixing bowl Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, pomegranate juice and balsamic vinegar...pour over chicken.
Turn slow cooker to low and cook 4 - 6 hours on low. After chicken is done remove from the slow cooker, place on a serving platter and drizzle with liquid. This extra moist chicken pairs nicely with a small side of pasta. If using the Set 'n Forget Slow Cooker, program the temperature to 165 degrees or follow manufacturer's instructions. Slow Cooker size 5-7 quarts.
Bon Appetit!
"While we do not look at the things which are
seen but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are
temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal".
2 Corinthians
4:18
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Bible Study via Kindle
I encourage each of you to join me in "Reading God's Story: One-Year Chronological Plan/YouVersion". The ladies of Covington are meeting on Tuesday evenings at Covington Assembly of God for this bible study and I am going to follow along from home on my kindle. Check it out!
Here is the information:
Here is the information:
The new Iva May Blog (www.ivamay.com
) will correspond with this reading plan this year. If you can't join us on Tuesday nights, this would be a great way for you to participate. Her old blog, www.ivamay.blogspot.com
corresponds with our green chronological bible reading. https://www.youversion.com/reading-plans/reading-gods-story?day=1
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