Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Veggie loaded mini meatloaves





So after looking at a few recipes. I sort of took some ideas from one and added my own twist. Ryan and I love meatloaf but it can have an insane amount of fat and calories in it. This is my own healthified version of it. It got a two thumbs up rating from Ry-guy this evening (actually he even licked the plate afterwards) he really liked it. We will definitely be making this again...and again...and again!!!!




Veggie-loaded Meatloaf

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup All whites egg whites
Organic, sugar-free Ketchup


1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Shred carrots, zucchini, and mince garlic.





3. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together.





4. Spray your loaf / mini loaf pan with cooking spray or olive oil mist if you have it
5. Divide meat into pan and top with ketchup.






6. Cook for 45 minutes.






Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Mini Meatloaf

Calories 114
Total Fat 2.63g
 
Cholesterol 32.5mg
 
Sodium 243.66mg
 
Total Carbohydrate 8.9g
 
Dietary Fiber 0.84g
 
Sugars 4.54g
Protein 13.02g

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Surgery and Allie update.......and just because I am a little bored

So Ryan is gone for the next week and with no school right now and colder weather and the fact that my wrist is in a brace and so painful I can barely move. So I am doing a lot of internet searching and blogging. I need to get as much in as possible before school starts again and before my wrist heals and I have to return to work.

So update. I had the surgery on Wednesday of this week and it was to release a tendon due to De Quervains syndrome. I actually ended up having an extra tendon that when I was injured by the patient it got inflamed and this is what was causing all the pain. It is still swollen and very bruised and extremely numb in most of the thumb area.

Like I said not very pretty. Luckily its not a very big scar and I can probably cover it up easily with a watch and or bracelets.

So update on Allie-girl. Since we moved into the new place she has adapted rather well I think. We in less than two days trained her to not go onto any of the tiled areas. Which helps us get in and out of the door without her running out as well. I don't know how we did it so fast but it is wonderful. She won't even go after her toys if they have landed on the tile. She has found many new spots to sleep in.
the stairs are a big new sleeping area for her

especially when we are in our office upstairs.
For the first bit while here we didn't have a bed and we were using an old, aero bed that didn't even work anymore, however she found it very relaxing......
 although I believe here I had woken her up and she was not happy with me.
So because I love my dog as if she were my own child I have mini photo sessions with her so her are some new "headshots" of my baby-girl :) Wow my poor mom she really never is going to get any real grand kids from me
I think she is telling me that this is her good side

I love the B&W definitely shows off her sweetness :)
"Does my nose look big at this angle?"


So like I said I am bored as all get out. Enjoying too much time off if my wrist was better then I would probably be crafting up a storm but due to damn near immobility of my left wrist I am watching way too much tv and Pinning way too much.

So here are some of my favorite things:

1.  My new french press

2.  The Rock Star Jeggings from Old Navy...I bought them in two different colors the other day and seriously am considering going back and getting every other color :)

3.  The fact that my first Birchbox  is on it's way...............YA can't wait.

4.  I am loving TV so much right now especially:   Once Upon A Time, Grimm, Big Bang Theory, and the upcoming season of Face Off.

5.  and lastly I am loving my new haircut although I am willing my hair to grow out as fast as is physically possible.....I have had it short for awhile now but miss my long curly locks so desperately

ok so I have babbled on for too long now......see you all tomorrow :)

pancakes #2



So these are my second set of pancakes on the clean eat diet. These are pretty much a mixture of two or three different sets of pancakes I have seen around on some blogs and in a couple of cookbooks.

In the Eat Clean Cookbook they suggest cottage cheese pancakes but they use whole wheat flour. Although I do think those will taste good I currently don't have any WWF so I decided to stick with the oats that I used for the first set of pancakes.Also I added my new protein powder to see if I would like the taste texture in any of the pancakes in the future.

Although these were good I will probably not be making them again. I do not add any kind of sweetener to the pancakes before making them and do not use any kind of syrup (sugar free or natural) on top after they are cooked. I think if you like a sweetness you should definitely add something to the mix. I think with these the mixture of the grainyness of the protein powder along with a not sweet taste decreased my taste buds liking these so much. They was however a huge difference in the fluffiness with these and that comes with the use of the cottage cheese.

Tomorrow I will be trying yet another kind of pancakes. By the end of this week I plan to have tweaked them enough that I will have found exactly what I want.



Cottage Cheese Protein Powder Pancakes


1/2 cup cottage cheese ( low fat)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
2 egg whites
1 serving Protein Powder
Vanilla
Cinnamon

*  Blend all ingredients together

* Cook up each one (you should get 4-6 out of this amount)

*** Like I said if you would like a sweeter taste you could add some honey/agave/pure maple syrup

Calories: 370
Fiber:  16
Protein:  43


I ended up making 4 pancakes and ate half with crunchy natural peanut butter and some blackberries for my first meal of the day. I will eat the second half probably as my afternoon snack.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Clean Turkey and bean soup with kale





So this is an adaptation from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook. I have been craving chili of course something that is not in the slightest clean and in going through this cookbook I found a recipe for chili and told my husband to take me to the store. I am adjusting to trying to do some things with my wrist all wrapped up and painful as all get out.

After I got this all together it doesn't look at all like a chili. It does however taste absolutely amazing. This original recipe was supposed to be vegetarian  yet I added some ground turkey. Since this is probably what I will be eating for the next few days I thought I would get everything into one pot. I also added some kale to the chili, so I showed it to Ryan and he agrees that it looks nothing like chili so I am going to name this Turkey and bean soup with kale :)


Turkey and Bean Soup w/ Kale
12 servings (about 1 cup each)

2 TB cumin
2 TB EVOO
3 TB chili powder
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
Salt & Pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
1 head of garlic, roasted
1 can white kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1 can great northern beans, drained & rinsed
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained ( I used low-sodium)
3 cups Vegetable Stock, low sodium ( you could also use water)
1 can whole tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 lb ground lean turkey
kale, chopped and rinsed (use whatever amount you would like)
juice of one lime
juice of one lemon


1.  Cut top of garlic head off place in middle of tinfoil square put about one TB EVOO on top and sprinkle salt and pepper over the top. Close tin foil by bringing up to top and squeezing to shut. Do not wrap too tightly. Roast at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes.


2.  Brown turkey in a skillet with a little S&P and break up to small crumbles.


3.  Place EVOO, onion, green pepper, and carrot into stock pot and cook until translucent about 5 minutes.

4.  Mix all seasonings together and place into pot with the vegetables. Cover to help steam a little and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.





5.  While this is cooking open all of the beans place into a colander and drain, rinse all with cold water.




6.  Squeeze roasted garlic into vegetables.

7.  Add all other ingredients and set to a medium heat, let simmer for at least an hour or longer. This helps to incorporate all the flavors and reduces the soup a little bit.

8.  Once it has cooked for awhile you may serve. I am speechless at how amazing the seasoning and taste in this soup is. Just absolutely fantastic. I hope you enjoy :)







Calories:  252
Fat:  9
Carbohydrates: 25
Fiber:  6
Protein: 15

Green Smoothie

I love smoothies. This is a simple thrown together smoothie that is serving as my mid-morning meal. I recently ordered some new protein powder and am waiting impatiently for it to arrive. Most people do not get enough protein in their diet unless of course you are on atkins or something like that. I have tried many different brands and always go back to the same one.

Nutiva has been a favorite of mine for years now. It uses hemp for the protein source so it was a staple for me when I was a practicing vegetarian. The one that I choose also has an extreme amount of fiber per serving. We all know what fiber helps with......I really don't think I need to go more into that subject. It is a great way for me to get in the protein that I need each day without having to eat a ton of meat, which for me is not a huge priority food wise.

So I would normally put the powder into this or another smoothie but as I am currently out it is just a simple healthy smoothie.

Green Smoothie

1 cup Spinach (fresh & washed)
1/2 cup Almond milk
1/2 cup Frozen blueberries
1/2 Frozen Banana


Blend all together and enjoy!

without protein powder
Calories: 105
Protein: about 2g
Fiber: about 3g

with protein powder
Calories: 185
Protein: 13
Fiber: 15

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Clean Eating Pancakes

 


This is what everyone thinks of when pancakes are mentioned. Those wonderfully fluffy slightly chewy loaded with butter and syrup miracles. 
Well when you are trying to be a clean-eater this is not what you are eating. So I have been reading and reviewing blogs and cookbooks for the past bit and am going to be trying to find the perfect pancake for me. These little go-to snacks are perfect for not only breakfast but that quick afternoon meal that I never know what to do. It has the carbs and protein that you need all in one little bundle. Add in a little all-natural PB, fresh berries, or microwaved banana and I have officially died and gone to heaven. 

So this will be the first recipe of pancakes that I attempt. They are simple and easy very light and delicious looking all in their own respect. I adapted these from a blog I have been following and LOVE and this is her basic recipe she uses most days.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I hope I do. * they turned out amazing I had to try a couple of course with some berries for my afternoon snack.........just in case they weren't as good and I would have to tweak them before tomorrow. 



Clean-Eatin' Pancakes
(adapted from The Fame of Health and Fitness)   

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
5 egg whites ( let sit until at room temperature to increase their fluffiness)
1/2 TB flax seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of baking powder




* Blend all together ( I use a magic bullet and it works perfect)



* Heat up your griddle/pan and one by one make these beauties



* They are VERY delicate so I let them cook a little extra bit on the first side before attempting to flip over
* Once all are cooked just enjoy......they are that simple people. 

***** NOTE:   At least for me the mixture at first seemed a little watery I didn't add anything just simply let it sit for a bit and stirred it occasionally. You could also put it into the fridge for a bit and that would also help to thicken it up. 

****ALSO: they will not bubble as much as regular pancakes so be aware of that too.