The treadmill has arrived! It took 2 guys, 2 hours, and a lot of patience…but it is together, operating, and ready for miles or fun. I was up at 5:30 this morning and got in 1 mile before needing to start my day. Any other morning when puppy isn’t going to camp, I’ll have plenty of time for at least 3, if not 4 or 5 miles. Needless to say, I have a steamy date (#2 for the day!) with Mr. T after work. I’m excited! Here’s what the hottie tottie looks like…
After my brief (but good!) run this morning, I was craving something cold and nutritious. So what better than a fresh fruit smoothie!? I threw in: frozen pears, peaches, bananas, pineapple, papaya, mango, kiwi, strawberries, and apple along with V8 Fusion Light (got some veggies in there, technically!), 100% apple cider, and fat-free milk.
Blend and enjoy! My morning creation even got my stubborn husband eating breakfast.
I am just beginning the book Food, Inc. So far, so wonderful! I feel like I am learning a lot (more to come, I assure you!). An interesting article caught my eye in the
Did you know that in order for an organic food manufacturer to receive USDA certified organic recognition, the farmer must sell more than $5,000 a year in organic foods? Otherwise, they are exempt from obtaining USDA organic certification.
Organic Facts:
-While evidence is not conclusive, there appears to be no added nutritional benefit found in organic fruits and vegetables when compared to their non-organic counterparts.
-Due to organic produce availability, organic foods may be sitting longer before getting shipped, or may be shipped for long periods of time. Organic produce may also sit longer before being sold due to the inflated cost associated with organic foods.
-Most experts agree that the amount of pesticides found on non-organic fruits and vegetables poses very little health risk.
-Organic farming aims to protect the environment in ways that conventional farming does not.
-Organic produce costs more due to the more expensive farming practices, tighter government regulations, and lower crop yields. Organic farming practices include more labor-intensive methods of controlling weeds and pests, as well as more expensive herbicides or pesticides.
-Seeking out local farmers can help guide you to organic produce and support of sustainable farming practices and your local communities
-Nearly everyone could improve their health by eating more fruits and vegetables, organic or not.
On a lighter note…today was my holiday cookie taste testing at work. Surprise, surprise…more people than ever signed up to taste – 16, in fact! Considering there’s only 35 in the office, that’s a huge success!
Here’s the set-up! Notice the “Taste Testers Only” sign. Lots of employees get into the goodies on taste test days. I know free food is great, but I’m holding strong to my $1 request from participants. Money doesn’t grow on trees, ya know!? And until RD’s getting a major pay raise, I’ll be needing those dollars!
(I wanted to know their favorite cookie!)
Biggest Loser Finale
I avoided Blogland last night as I didn't get to finish the last 20 minutes of BL til this morning. While I am happy Danny won (yay Oklahoma!), I am slightly perturbed at a 239-pound (239, right?) weight-loss in SEVEN MONTHS. I don't know, that's just completely...not right. From the bottom of my heart, I hope the contestants have instilled healthful eating and exercise habits that will last them a lifetime.
Did anyone else think Allison Sweeny looked healthy and...stunning?
Question: What’s your absolutely favorite kind of cookie?
...and it isn't pine or mistletoe! But rather.......COOKIES!!!
Today I made SEVEN varieties of sweets -- some healthy, some not so healthy, but all are delicious! 214 cookies + 16 brownies later I am pooped and my house smells like the December issue of Taste of Homes looks.
Ingredients:
1 bag Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Mix
3/4 C Andes Creme de Menthe chips
Directions:
1)Preheat oven to 375 F
2)Mix together cookie mix and ingredients listed on package. Once well mixed, add in the 3/4 cup of creme de menthe.
3)Drop cookie dough by rounded Tbsp onto a ungreased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil/parchment paper.
4)Bake each batch for 9 to 11 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Ingredients:
1 bag Betty Crocker oatmeal cookie mix+ingredients listed on mix
3/4 cup Andes Peppermint Crunch chips
Directions: 1)Preheat oven to 375 F 2)Mix together cookie mix and ingredients listed on package. Once well mixed, add in the 3/4 cup of peppermint chips. 3)Drop cookie dough by rounded Tbsp onto a ungreased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet covered in tinfoil/parchment paper. 4)Bake each batch for 9 to 11 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
Note: I could NOT (for the life of me) find Holiday Kissables, so I settled for Holiday M&M's. Also, I used Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix instead of the chocolate mix the recipe called for*.
Ingredients: 1 bag Betty Crocker Peanut Butter cookie mix* 1/3 c. (canola) oil 2 eggs 1 tub of chocolate frosting 1 bag of Hershey's Christmas Kissables
Directions: 1)Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine cake mix, oil and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. 2) Bake at 375°F. for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute, then press your thumb into the center of each cookie. After that remove from cookie sheets. 3)Spoon some frosting into a pastry bag or a zip loc and snip the end. Pipe frosting into the indent of the cookie and top with 3 Kissables!!
A trick with the Christmas Chocolate Cheers is to use a Ziplock as a frosting gun...
Oatmeal, Chocolate Chip, and Pecan Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add vanilla and egg; beat until blended. Gradually add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans and minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove cookies from pans; cool on wire racks.
Source: Julianna Grimes and Ann Taylor Pittman, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2007
Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies
I colored the cheesecake batter with red food coloring -- about 3 drops for a festive flare!
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 bar)
Cheesecake batter: 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract 1 large egg 1 large egg white 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Brownie batter: 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1/4 cup canola oil 1/4 cup buttermilk 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large egg whites 1 large egg Cooking spray
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare cheesecake batter, place cheese in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add granulated sugar and peppermint extract; beat well. Add 1 egg and 1 egg white; beat well. Add 1 tablespoon flour; beat mixture just until blended.
3. To prepare brownie batter, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces flour, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, 2 egg whites, and 1 egg in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add flour mixture to brown sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until blended.
4. Reserve 1/2 cup of brownie batter. Pour remaining batter into a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Carefully pour cheesecake batter over top; spread evenly to edges. Dot cheesecake batter with reserved brownie batter. Swirl top two layers of batters together using the tip of a knife. Bake at 350° for 26 minutes or until top is set. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Source: Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008
Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 c butter, softened 2/3 c firmly packed brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 ½ c old fashioned oats 1 ½ c all purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 (6 oz) package dried cranberries 2/3 c white chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, mixing well. Combine oats, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in dried cranberries and white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies.
Source: Weight Watchers (online forum)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Yield: 3 dozen (serving size: 1 cookie)
1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup canola oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large egg whites 1 large egg 12 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 2/3 cups) 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add flour mixture to peanut butter mixture, stirring just until combined. Stir in minichips. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.
Source: Kathy Farrell-Kingsley, Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2008
And only 3 hours later...my friends are the lucky recipients of THESE:
Tins filled with...
cookies! Obvi..
I taste tested all of the cookies (and brownies) and they are ALL really good!
If I had to choose a favorite it would have to be the Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies.
I must fess up -- my morning started off on a bad note...forgetting to eat breakfast before I set out for a day of power shopping. Around 10 I gave in to a bad, bad guilty pleasure: McDonald's Sausage Egg McMuffin. 450 calories and 85% of my daily value of saturated fat later...I completed my shopping spree successfully. In my defense, I get fast food a handful of time in a calendar year, and typically it is because of instances like this morning.
Question: How often do you eat fast food? What is your "favorite" fast food restaurant (if you had to choose one)?
Husby and I are off to my work Christmas party! Hope everyone's having a wonderful weekend!
Tomorrow...the LD on this KOMBACHA everyone in blogland is yappin' about!!
Last night was the last night of my 4-week Boot Camp class. My measurements were taken on 11/16 and last night, 12/3. In that time I have lost:
0.5 inches on my thighs and hips
2.75 inches on my shoulders/bust
1.5 inches on my waist
arms stayed the same
I am pumped! While I wish more came off my hips (this is where I carry my weight), I'm really happy with the results. Three days a week for a few weeks has really made a difference.
And more good news...our new treadmill is being delivered next TUESDAY!!!!!!
I made a popular bloggie dinner last night: spaghetti squash!
I halved the squash length-wise and baked it upside down in a pan with 1/4" water in the bottom at 375 F for 35 minutes. I then flipped the squash right side up and baked an additional 30 minutes at 375 F. After cooking, the squash easily pulls out in strands (like spaghetti!).
Easy breezy!
To my spaghetti squash I added Classico Tomato Basil Marinara, nutritional yeast, Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and pine nuts. Deeeelicious!!!!
Failure. Failures, really.
In the December issue of Cooking Light, I found a recipe for cranberries I really wanted to make for the RD Christmas Party THIS afternoon -- candied cranberries, more like.
Directions: simmer cranberries in simple syrup until tender. Roll in sugar. Serve. Anyone can handle that, right? Wrong.
Lesson learned: can't be watching Bride Wars AND cranberries simoltaneously.
Of this many cranberries...
I salvaged THIS many...sad.
So, I moved on to an easy recipe my friend Katie sent me just this morning (after a speed session of grocery shopping...
Chocolate Bombs
Ingredients: 1 box chocolate cake, prepared 1 can chocolate frosting 1 bag chocolate chips 2 packages chocolate almond bark
Make cake mix as directed and let cool. Crumble cake into a large bowl and mix in frosting and chips. Roll into balls and place on a lined cookie sheet.
Melt almond bark and drizzle over balls. Cool and serve.
Disaster...
My balls didn't form, so mine are blobs. More like AFTER a bomb has exploded. Here's the final product:
I don't bake or do sweets of any kind very well...can you tell? Taste? Thumbs up! Mmm! Chocolate lovers, come in!!
I need to doll up for the party, but have a WONDERFUL Friday and start to your weekend! And seriously, the above 2 recipes are easy as pie for the average Joe...and super delicious if you're looking for something easy!!
“What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?”-Erma Bombeck
I’m talking to my mom on my way to work this morning, requesting my favorite coffee creamer while she was grocery shopping. Mom just happens to mention, “Well, the store was out of pecan pies, so I got pecan pie cups. Good portion control, right?” Where do I begin with the wrongness of this all.
Pecan pie should be homemade.
Pecan pie cups? Give me a break. No pumpkin PIE is the equivalent of Christmas without a Christmas tree littering gifts beneath it.
I feel so shafted already. Pecan pie is a once-a-year-can’t-live-without-it STAPLE. Holds. Me. Together. All. Year. Treat.
As un-healthy as that little tantrum is, I could’ve verbally berated husband last night after he decided he NEEDED (yes, NEEDED) Buffalo Wild Wings. Let’s not be confused here, I love anything involving wing sauce -- it’s a guilty pleasure. Just look to the right there and you can see that SEVERAL of my “must-try” recipes contain wing sauce. However, BW3’s is 30 minutes away from home and I had a headache and a wonderful, healthy pad Thai dinner planned. But no, husband NEEDED wings. So, off we go at 8:30pm (had to wait til the game was on!), only to arrive and find that both the restaurant and inhaler-requiring bar were filled to capacity and there was a 40-minute wait. On a Tuesday. One would think they were GIVING AWAY $0.40 wings, my goodness! After flashing him a stink face and a blatant, annoyed eye roll, we left BW3’s for a silent 30-minute commute back home.
I am a man. I do NOT want to watch games (football, basketball, or otherwise) that I care about in a bar watching a TV without volume and obnoxious patrons taking away from my viewing experience. Which leads me to the acceptance of a sad truth: I am old. On a Tuesday evening after an 11-hour work day, I want to be a homebody. I want to be in my warm house, in my cuddly clothes, enjoying healthy, homemade food, watching and listening to my sporting pleasure! Last night being Fighting Illini men’s basketball.
Is anyone else a huge homebody, especially once the fall and winter seasons encroach?
My crankiness subsided this morning when I opened my office door to a package from Newman's Owns Organics (not to be confused with Newman's Own). I've heard a lot about Newman's Owns Organics (NOO's) and I was interested in sampling some of their products. Well, let's just say I received an early Christmas gift this year! Check out the loot...
Thank you, Newman's Own Organics!! <3
Food models, mess, lunch (upper right), Zevia (upper left)...and the loot, scattered! My office is atrocious!
An array of cookies...chocolate, Arrowroot, and chocolate chip!
Choooooooocolate! Need I say more? Note: that dark chocolate bar
on the left is opened...I wonder who did that!!
Fat-free AND low-fat Fig Newmans...love the play on words : )
Dried fruit...prunes, apricots, apples, and berry blend. The apples are delicious! They are completely all-natural in taste, not all pumped up with sugar!!
For my afternoon snack, I had 2 original Hermits. Um, DELICIOUS! They are so moist and rich in flavor...love them!! Favorite taste from Newman's Own Organics thus far!!
Mint rolls -- Peppermint, Wintergreen, Ginger, and Hot (not pictured, oops!)
Newman's O's -- Chocolate and Mint!!
There was a 3rd bag, but one of my patient's ate them. Thumbs up! Especially excited about the protein pretzels!
Soy crisps! Can't wait to try!
Hot, Wintergreen, Ginger (yum!), and peppermint mints. The ginger ones are delicious!!!
And Newman's Own Organics even sent something for the puppy -- dog treats! Lily gives the salmon and sweet potato treats a high-five (and my dog gives high-5's, no joke!)
And since 'tis the season to be giving...a GIVEAWAY for you all! And because that box weighs about 25 pounds!!! THANK YOU, NEWMAN'S OWN ORGANICS!!!
NEWMAN'S OWNS ORGANICS GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!
There will be 2 winners as there's plenty of goodies to go around...
Giveaway 1: The Cookie Monster
Newman's Own Organics Champion Chip Cookies (Chocolate)
Newman's Own Organics Ginger Hermits
Newman's Own Organics 54% cocoa Dark Chocolate Bar
Giveaway 2: The Smorgasbord
Newman's Own Organics White Cheddar Soy Crisps
Newman's Own Organics California Prunes
Newman's Own Organics 54% cocoa Espresso Dark Chocolate Bar
How to enter? Lots of ways!
Enter up to 4 times by doing one, two, three...or all of the following:
1. Post a comment with your giveaway selection preference below (1 or 2, see above)
2. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with a link back to your tweet, or follow me @PreventionRD
3. If you're a blogger, post about this Newman's Own Organics Giveaway with a link back to this post on your blog. Leave a comment below containing your blog/post link!
4. Email me a favorite, healthy recipe at Mrs.RD44@gmail.com
Entries will be taken through Sunday, November 29th at 12pm (Central Time) and the winners will be announced on my Sunday blog post!
Sampled thus far: 70% cocoa organic chocolate bar (super yum!) and organic dried apples. Mmm!
A patient this morning had to fast for a late lab appointment and by the time he made it over to my office for his nutrition appointment, he was so hungry he had a headache. I handed my country bumpkin of a patient Newman's Own Organics salted pretzels, and that country bumpkin chowed down. And believe you me, I'd have heard about it if he didn't love'em! Thumbs up, Newman's Own Organics!!
Looking forward to Pad Thai tonight and an early departure to Chicago tomorrow morning! If our flight is delayed, we’ll be missing Thanksgiving dinner. Wish us luck, O’Hare doesn’t have the best of records when it comes to flight delays.
Have a wonderful, safe, healthful, and relaxing Thanksgiving!
It's confusing trying to be healthy! Let me be your guide to a practical, straight-forward, and maintainable approach to a healthy lifestyle. I promise, you may even come to like it!
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